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A police officer was shot and killed near a school in Georgia after responding to a report of a suspicious vehicle, authorities said.
Antwan Toney and another officer approached a vehicle near the Shiloh Middle School in Snellville to check out a report of people smoking marijuana, according to Sgt. Jake Smith of the Gwinnett County Police Department.
That’s when shots rang out from inside the vehicle, Smith said, adding that such things don’t happen “99.999 percent” of the time.
“That it went this way, it’s just tragic,” Smith said.
One of the bullets wounded Toney, Smith said.
His partner, who has not been identified, dragged Toney away for cover, Smith said.
It was not immediately clear where Toney was struck, but he succumbed to his injuries — just six days from his 3-year mark with the department, Smith said.
“The GCPD officer shot in the line of duty has died as a result of his injuries,” the department tweeted Saturday.
The vehicle, which had as many as four people in it, took off and crashed less than a mile from the shooting scene, Smith said. The officers had returned fire and it was unclear whether anyone in the car was wounded or whether the car simply crashed while fleeing, Smith said. The suspects fled on foot.
Smith said most of the officers in the department have body cameras, but not all. It was unclear whether Toney or the other officer was wearing a body camera.
No arrests have been made.
“Efforts are ongoing to locate the suspect responsible,” the tweet read.
The other officer did not appear to suffer any injuries.