A Gwinnett County jury has concluded the guilt of 27-year-old Tyree J. Simmons in the fatal shooting of a grandmother, as he tried to apparently target her grandson. According to FOX 5 Atlanta, Simmons was found guilty on Friday of charges including malice murder, three counts of felony murder, two counts of aggravated assault, first-degree criminal damage to property, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
The verdict stems from an event on February 22, 2022, at the Intown Suites off Stone Mountain Highway where Christine Walker, 64, was shot in her sleep next to her grandson. In the early hours of the morning, her grandson emerged from the bathroom only to fatally find his grandmother hit in the head by gunfire. Investigations revealed that Simmons and the teen had a previous altercation during which Simmons allegedly threatened the teen with a handgun equipped with a "switch", a device intended to rapidly fire a semi-automatic weapon. Simmons has been held responsible for transferring his semi-automatic handgun into an automatic weapon to commit the crime, which he has denied knowledge of.
The circumstances surrounding the shooting were particularly heinous, as explained by Gwinnett County District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson. "Christine Walker was asleep when the defendant opened fire into her room," Austin-Gatson stated, as reported by FOX 5 Atlanta. "All she did was take responsibility for raising her grandson. She did not deserve to be murdered this way."
Further details were provided by the DA's office, indicating that following his eviction from the hotel, a Glock 29 handgun with a switch attachment was found hidden in Simmons’ hotel stove. Despite earlier denials of having a gun and altering his story multiple times, evidence contradicted Simmons' statements. "The fact that he had a switch, which turned his semi-automatic handgun into an automatic weapon, makes this crime especially egregious," Austin-Gatson emphasized in a quote obtained by 11Alive. The DA's office conveyed that Simmons now faces life in prison, with sentencing to be scheduled at a later date.
