GA - Gun Range Owners Thomas & Evelyn 75, grandson Luke 17, robbed & shot Grantville, Apr'22 *Arrest

[BeckyF]

$15,000 reward offered in fatal shooting of Georgia gun range owners and grandson


$15,000 reward offered in fatal shooting of Georgia gun range owners and grandson
"Right now, I'm just speechless," police chief said.
A $15,000 reward is being offered in the search for suspects who killed the owners of a Georgia shooting range and their teen grandson during an apparent robbery in which at least 40 guns were taken, authorities said.

The triple homicide occurred at the Lock, Stock and Barrel Shooting Range in Grantville, about 50 miles southwest of Atlanta. The bodies were discovered on Friday night by Coweta County coroner Richard Hawk, the son of the slain shooting-range owners and the father of the teenager who was gunned down, police said. I've been here eight years and we've never had anything like this," Grantville police Chief Steve Whitlock told ABC affiliate station WSB-TV in Atlanta. "Right now, I'm just speechless. I have a hard time talking about it because they were friends of ours. I've known them for a long time."
Police identified the victims as 75-year-old Thomas Richard Hawk Sr., his 75-year-old wife, Evelyn Hawk, and their 17-year-old grandson, Luke Hawk.

Investigators suspect the killings unfolded between 5:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Friday during an apparent armed robbery, according to a statement from the Grantville Police Department.
Richard Hawk went to the shooting range around 8 p.m. on Friday, discovered the bodies and called 911, police said.

In addition to the arsenal of guns stolen, the business' security camera was also taken from the scene, police said.

Grantville police officials asked anyone who drove passed the gun range around the time of the killings to contact investigators and relay any information on what they saw, specifically what type of vehicles were parked outside.
The federal bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is assisting in the investigation. The Lock, Stock and Barrel Shooting range is a federal firearms licensee in Grantville, officials said.

 

[Blondie in Spokane]

I feel horrible for the gun range owner’s son, who happens to be the local coroner, who discovered his parents & son’s bodies. It sounds like Georgia LE are putting all available manpower into this investigation along w the ATF so hopefully they should be able to solve this quickly.
What an awful, awful crime in what sounds to be a close-knit community.

ETA thanks for starting this thread Becky. I sure hope they have some solid leads….40 guns & the CCTV, dang.

 

[BeckyF]

Gee whoever did this didn’t want any witnesses! I’m glad the ATF is involved.

 

[NervousNellie]

I'm torn from believing this will be solved quickly and believing it will never be solved. I can't even imagine the horror this couple and their grandson experienced.

 

[MajorHoople]

This is a very sad situation. I hope they catch the culprit soon.

Thomas Richard Hawk Sr., age 71

Evelyn Hawk, age 60

Luke Hawk, age 19

 

[worm]

Hopefully they will have records on these missing guns since they will likely turn up somewhere. There’s likely more than one person involved as well. I agree with @NervousNellie above but hope theres a quick answer.

 

[worm]

According to the 11alive report linked on the gun violence page, the victims were found within steps of each other. I wonder if they were forced to one area or caught by surprise? I suspect there’s more than one perp involved since we are talking about robbing 3 people who were probably well versed in handling a gun themselves. I’m also reminded that Todd Kolheppe killed 4 people quickly in that bike shop and he was alone so my theory could be completely off.

 

[BeckyF]

I think the killer or killers had cased this place. The killer knew to show up right at closing time.

 

[worm]

I think the killer or killers had cased this place. The killer knew to show up right at closing time.

Probably had scoped the cameras and dvr out too.

 

[BeckyF]

Hopefully they will have records on these missing guns since they will likely turn up somewhere. There’s likely more than one person involved as well. I agree with @NervousNellie above but hope theres a quick answer.

I was thinking the same about having records on the stolen guns and that they will show up somewhere.

 

[Marg from Oz]

Why kill them? Unless the killers were known to the victims. MOO

 

[worm]

I was thinking the same about having records on the stolen guns and that they will show up somewhere.

There’s another recent report about guns from GA and the Carolinas being transported to big cities like Philadelphia and sold for premium prices. There’s a big pile of cash involved here and probably multiple people.

 

[worm]

Why kill them? Unless the killers were known to the victims. MOO

I’m not sure on this place but a lot of people who work in firearms dealerships carry guns at work. Or at least have them close by.

 

[AtlantaBourne]

Really hoping someone drove by & noticed something. That may be the only clue LE gets.

 

[vls12345]

Georgia gun range robbery and shooting 911 call released | 11alive.com

"...
The 911 call was made by the county coroner Richard Hawk, who is the son of Lock, Stock and Barrel gun store owners Tommy and Evelyn Hawk, and the father of 19-year-old Luke Hawk, who was also found dead at the scene.

In the call, Hawk says he can see inside the store and that, "I see blood coming from my son." But he can't get into the store, he says, because "the door is locked, everything is locked up."
..."

 

[worm]

Georgia gun range robbery and shooting 911 call released | 11alive.com

"...
The 911 call was made by the county coroner Richard Hawk, who is the son of Lock, Stock and Barrel gun store owners Tommy and Evelyn Hawk, and the father of 19-year-old Luke Hawk, who was also found dead at the scene.

In the call, Hawk says he can see inside the store and that, "I see blood coming from my son." But he can't get into the store, he says, because "the door is locked, everything is locked up."
..."

I wonder if someone could just flip a lock as they left or if it took a key?

 

[vls12345]

I wonder if someone could just flip a lock as they left or if it took a key?

I wonder that too.

And when I read the details about Hawk's call, I wondered if he is being looked at by the police, if they have established an alibi for him? (Just because he is family, discovered the bodies, and has a key -- all factors that would normally make one a suspect, at least initially....)

 

[AtlantaBourne]

I wonder that too.

And when I read the details about Hawk's call, I wondered if he is being looked at by the police, if they have established an alibi for him? (Just because he is family, discovered the bodies, and has a key -- all factors that would normally make one a suspect, at least initially....)

But if he had a key, why wouldn't he be able to go inside?
JMO

 

[vls12345]

But if he had a key, why wouldn't he be able to go inside?
JMO

The article said he didn't have the key with him when he arrived at the shop.

"Asked if he can perform CPR on his son, he responds, "I can't even get in the door. Tell somebody to bring some lock cutters with them because I don't have my keys.""

 

[Blondie in Spokane]

“Scott Sweetow said gun store burglaries are common, but robberies are extremely rare because people know the owners will probably be better armed than them, and the thieves normally wait until the store is closed.”

“One of the things that we find historically when looking at guns for burglaries is that people know what they're targeting," Sweetow said.”

“Sweetow knows all about gun store burglaries as the former special agent in charge for ATF Atlanta. He believes the shooters had been to Lock Stock and Barrell Shooting Range before shooting and killing store owners Tommy and Evelyn Hawk and their 19-year-old grandson Luke.”

“It would not surprise me at all that once this is solved, and it will be solved, that the people were either familiar with the location because they have been in there multiple times or they had some other sort of inside knowledge about what was going on inside that store," Sweetow said.”

“Police report more than three dozen guns were stolen during the triple homicide and robbery. Sweetow said this poses a huge public safety risk.”

“You would be astounded just how quickly guns that are stolen from burglaries end up on the street and are often used in crimes," Sweetow said.”

Grantville gun store murder | ATF expert offers insight | 11alive.com