A dispute between two co-workers ended in a shootout that left one dead, Georgia deputies said.
Ja’Mychael Quintrez Peavy, 20, is charged with felony murder after he was accused of shooting and killing his colleague at an office furniture store in Cumming, according to the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies were called around 7:40 a.m. Wednesday, May 17, about a shooting at the “warehouse type business,” authorities said in a news release. Google maps shows the address belongs to Ernie Morris Enterprises, which sells business furniture and supplies.
Investigators said Peavy and a fellow temporary worker, identified as 23-year-old Hamilton Samuel Darwin, got into a physical fight. Things escalated and both men drew their guns, opening fire on each other, according to deputies.
Darwin was shot and died at the scene, deputies said.
Peavy was taken to a hospital in critical condition and is recovering. Additional charges are expected, the sheriff’s office said.
Ernie Morris Enterprises didn’t return request for comment on May 18.
Cumming is about 40 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta.
Gun violence in U.S.
Thousands of people die from gun-related injuries in the U.S. each year, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Firearm injuries are a serious public health problem,” the CDC said. “In 2020, there were 45,222 firearm-related deaths in the United States – that’s about 124 people dying from a firearm-related injury each day.”
That same year, the CDC reported that firearm-related injuries were among the leading causes of death for people ages 1 to 44.