Chaos erupted in Forest Park when a series of shootings claimed the life of Brandon Harris, 43, and left two others injured. Forest Park Police named Victor Demetrious Baymon, 33, as the assailant, who followed his ex-girlfriend to a tax preparation business where Harris was assisting her. According to information obtained by Atlanta News First, the tragic events unfolded at a convenience store before Baymon carjacked a vehicle and continued his rampage, causing citywide terror and a police manhunt on Friday.
Officials captured Baymon after a vehicular chase, and he was hospitalized in "critical but stable" condition. Following the Powder Springs Police-involved capture, Baymon now faces a slew of charges, including malice murder and armed robbery. The violent spree, which additionally injured a customer at the convenience store and a construction worker, began around 10:30 a.m., with Baymon stealing cars and firing shots across different locations. The tragedy enforced lockdowns of schools and public buildings while law enforcement pursued Baymon.
The pursuit culminated with a crash in Cobb County, witnessed by NewsChopper 2, as dozens of law enforcement vehicles converged at the scene. "The danger to the public was over," police stated after the arrest of Baymon, whose past includes a 2017 arrest for the murder of Priscilla Colbert. However, he was acquitted of most charges except for fleeing police. Detailing the incident, WSBTV confirmed the crashed gray vehicle was indeed the one stolen by Baymon earlier that day.
As the community reels from the violence, the identities of the other two victims, who rushed into surgery at an undisclosed medical facility, remain unconfirmed. Ironically left behind a U-Haul truck after ramming it into a patrol car in the 2017 incident, Baymon had been released from prison in 2022.
