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The Times, Gainesville, Georgia | gainesvilletimes.com
Saturday, November 3, 2018 7A
FLORIDA
Police: 3 dead, including
shooter, at yoga studio
Police investigators work the scene of a shooting Friday, Nov. 2, in Tallahassee, Fla. A shooter
killed two people and critically wounded five others at a yoga studio in Florida’s capital before
killing himself Friday, officials said.
BY GARY FINEOUT AND
BRENDAN FARRINGTON
Associated Press
TALLAHASSEE — A gun
man killed two people and
wounded five others at a
yoga studio in Florida’s capi
tal before killing himself Fri
day evening, officials said.
Tallahassee Police Chief
Michael DeLeo told report
ers Friday night that the man
shot six people and pistol-
whipped another after walk
ing into the studio, which is
part of a small Tallahassee
shopping center.
The suspect then fatally
shot himself, DeLeo said.
Authorities have not identi
fied the shooter or the vic
tims. The conditions of the
other victims are unclear.
DeLeo said police are
asking for anyone who saw
something unusual around
the time of the shooting to
contact police. He said the
shooter acted alone and
authorities are investigat
ing possible motives. He
declined to say what kind of
gun the shooter had.
“We’re all very saddened
and shocked by the events
that occurred, but it’s impor
tant that people understand
that there is no immediate
threat outside of what has
already occurred this eve
ning,” DeLeo said.
Melissa Hutchinson said
she helped treat a “pro
fusely” bleeding man who
rushed into a bar after the
incident. She said three peo
ple from the studio ran in,
and they were told there was
an active shooter.
“It was a shocking
moment something hap
pened like this,” Hutchinson
said.
The people who came
in were injured, including
the bleeding man who was
pistol-whipped while trying
to stop the shooter. They told
her the shooter kept com
ing in and out of the studio.
When he loaded his gun,
people started pounding
the windows of the studio to
warn people.
City Commissioner Scott
Maddox was on the scene.
He said on Facebook, “In my
public service career I have
had to be on some bad scenes.
This is the worst. Please
pray.”
Elle Welling said she was
leaving a liquor store across
the street from the shop
ping center and saw at least
three people loaded into
ambulances.
“You don’t think about
TORI SCHNEIDER I Associated Press
this in Tallahassee and now
you have to,” said Well
ing, 26, who lives in the
neighborhood.
The plaza is home to popu
lar restaurants, a jewelry
store, a framing shop, a hair
salon and other businesses.
Erskin Wesson, 64, said
he was eating dinner with
his family at a restaurant
located below the yoga stu
dio when they heard the gun
shots above them.
“We just heard ‘pow, pow,
pow, pow,”’ Wesson said. “It
sounded like a limb falling
on a tin roof and rolling.”
1
Hunter
DEPUTIES
■ Continued from 1A
The incident dates back to the Oct. 24 funeral proces
sion for Gwinnett County police officer Antwan Toney,
who was killed while investigating a suspicious vehicle
Oct. 20 in Snellville.
Sheriff’s Office spokesman Derreck Booth said 50
deputies volunteered to direct traffic so that Gwinnett
County officers could attend Toney’s funeral.
At Ga. 124 and Ga. 20, two deputies
blocked the intersection so the proces
sion could proceed when they spotted a
pickup truck moving in and out of the
procession.
Booth said the driver, later identified
as Hunter, asked to turn left on Ga. 124.
“He told deputies he hadn’t intended
to get into the procession, and he con
tinued asking to make the turn. The
deputies politely told the man he
couldn’t turn until the procession had passed. The man
identified himself as a county commissioner and became
agitated when the deputies returned to attention,” Booth
wrote in a news release.
According to one of the officer’s statements, the man in
the truck reportedly said in reference to the other officer
he “needed to get his a- back to Hall County.”
The other officer wrote: “I was bothered by the
encounter and the obvious lack of respect and rever
ence for the situation by a supposed commissioner so I
googled Gwinnett County Commissioners on my phone.
Tommy Hunter’s picture appeared,” and he recognized
Hunter as the driver of the truck.
Couch and Hunter spoke later, when Hunter claimed
the deputies “were rude and disrespectful to him as a
commissioner in his home county and that they should
have allowed him to pass,” Booth said.
“He felt, and he conveyed to me when he spoke with
me on the phone, that basically he was entitled by his
position in his county to be able to travel that roadway
that day, but the rest of Gwinnett County citizens were
showing their respect,” Couch said in a statement.
Couch contacted Gwinnett Commission Chairwoman
Charlotte Nash as a courtesy regarding the situation.
Couch said the complaint is “unfounded.”
“They were not in fact rude, and they were not dis
respectful in any form or fashion that day. In fact, I’ve
very proud of them, and I thank all of the deputies who
volunteered to go show their honor and respect to Offi
cer Toney, his family and the Gwinnett County Police
Department,” Couch said in a statement.
Hunter did not respond to an email sent after hours
Friday, Nov. 2.
OBITUARIES
Florence Mae Whitlow Skinner
Died Nov. 2,2018
Florence Mae Whitlow Skinner, 86 of
Gainesville passed away Friday, Nov. 2,
2018, at Bell-Minor Nursing Home.
Born in Forsyth County, Mrs. Skinner had
lived in Hall County for most of her life. She
was the daughter of the late Cliff and Min
nie Grier Whitlow. Mrs. Skinner was retired
from Warren-Featherbone Company, and
was a member of Liberty Baptist Church in
Dawson County.
Survivors include her
daughter and son-in-law,
Louise and Randall Jones;
son and daughter-in-law,
Lamar and Cathy Skinner,
all of Gainesville; grand
children, Jennifer and
Jeremy Horner, Clermont;
Kevin and Jennifer Skin
ner, Gainesville; and one
great grandson on the way;
sister and brother-in-law, Melba and Mike
Helton, Hoschton; sister-in-law, Pauline
Skinner, Gainesville. A number of nieces
and nephews also survive.
Mrs. Skinner is preceded in death by her
husband of 44 years, Mark Skinner and
daughter, Margaret Ann Skinner.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 4, 2018, in the chapel of Little
& Davenport Funeral Home. Rev. Winfred
Skinner will officiate. Interment will follow
in the Liberty Baptist Church Cemetery in
Dawson County. The family will receive
friends at the funeral home Sunday from
noon until the funeral hour.
In lieu of flowers the family has asked that
memorial contributions please be made to
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501
St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or the
American Cancer Society, 2565 Thompson
Bridge Road, Ste. 114, Gainesville, Ga. 30501.
The family would like to say a special
“Thank You” to the staff of Bell-Minor
Nursing Home for the love and care given
to Mrs. Skinner.
Those wishing to send online condolences
to the family may do so at littledavenport.com
Little & Davenport Funeral Home and
Crematory, Gainesville
Sign the online guest book at gainesville-
times.com.
The Times, Gainesville, Ga.
Nov. 3,2018
DEATH NOTICES
Donna Faye Coleman
Died Oct. 22, 2018
Donna Faye Coleman, 75, of Gainesville
died Monday, Oct. 22. Memorial service, 4
p.m. Saturday, Nov. 3, funeral home chapel.
Memorial Park Funeral Home, Gainesville.
Charles Emerson Crane Jr.
Died Nov. 1, 2018
Charles Emerson Crane Jr., 74, of Rock-
mart died Thursday. Little & Davenport
Funeral Home and Crematory, Gainesville.
Roland H. Force
Died Nov. 1, 2018
Roland H. Force, 71, of Gainesville died
Thursday. Visitation, 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov.
4, funeral home. Ward’s Funeral Home,
Gainesville.
Sarah Evone Johnson Henrichs
Died Oct. 31, 2018
Sarah Evone Johnson Henrichs, 79, of
Cumming died Wednesday. Ingram Funeral
Home & Crematory, Cumming.
Kenneth Nelms
July 9, 1955-Oct. 28, 2018
Kenneth Nelms, 63, of Demorest died Sun
day. Habersham Crematory, Cornelia.
Barbara Odom Smith
Died Oct. 31, 2018
Barbara Odom Smith of Gainesville died
jl Weekend
11 of Wors hip
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902 Atlanta Hwy, Gainesville
770-536-4284
www.atlantaroad.org
Wednesday. Funeral service, 12 p.m. Satur
day, Nov. 3, funeral home chapel. Little &
Davenport Funeral Home and Crematory,
Gainesville.
Steve Dwayne Vandegraft
Died Nov. 1,2018
Steve “Duke” Dwayne Vandegraft, 61, of
Gainesville died Thursday. Funeral service,
11 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 7, funeral home
chapel. Memorial Park Funeral Home,
Gainesville.
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