4 killed, including officer and suspect, in Georgia shooting

ATLANTA — Four people are dead, including a police officer, after officers responded to a domestic disturbance call Tuesday in Clayton County, just south of Atlanta, state investigators said.

As Clayton County police officers were responding to 911 calls about a domestic disturbance at a home in Rex, more calls came in to 911 reporting shots fired. When officers arrived, they encountered an armed man who shot and killed Officer Henry Laxson and wounded another officer, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said in a news release.

Officers returned fire, hitting the man, who died at the scene, the GBI said. Officers discovered that just before they had arrived, the man had shot and killed two women and shot a 12-year-old boy in the face, authorities said.

The GBI later identified the suspect as Arthur Allen Gilliam, 35, of Rex.

Clayton County Police Chief Kevin Roberts said the child was in critical but stable condition, WSB-TV reported. The wounded officer, identified as Alex Chandler, was expected to survive.

Laxson is the third north Georgia police officer killed in the line of duty since November, WSB-TV reports.

Henry County Officer Paramhans Desai was shot as he attempted to make an arrest Nov. 5. He died from his wounds days later. Jackson County Deputy Lena Marshall was also shot at a separate call on Nov. 5 when she responded to a domestic incident. She died from her wounds Nov. 8.

Agencies via Xinhua