Cherokee County Shooting Leaves Community and Deputies Reeling After Tragic Discovery

ACWORTH, Ga. — What began as a routine welfare check in a quiet Cherokee County neighborhood turned into a grim and emotional ordeal for both law enforcement and residents — one that investigators say will take time to fully piece together.

Deputies responding to a call on Whisperwood Trail in Acworth Saturday evening were met by an armed man outside the home, according to the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office. Moments later, gunfire erupted, leaving the man dead and one deputy injured.

But it was what came next that stunned even seasoned investigators. Inside the home, deputies found the body of a woman believed to be the suspect’s mother — deceased and in what authorities described as an “advanced state of decomposition.” Her cause of death remains unknown, deepening the tragedy that has rocked the tight-knit neighborhood.

“This is something that shakes everyone involved,” said Capt. Jay Baker of the sheriff’s office. “Our deputies train for dangerous situations, but nothing prepares you for discovering something like this.”

Neighbors said the chaos shattered the peace of what is normally a calm, family-centered community. “My wife called and said, ‘I think I hear gunshots — like six of them. What should I do?’” recalled resident Luis Viloria, whose home sits just a few houses away. “We’ve lived here for eight years and have never seen anything like this.”

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) has taken over the case, as is standard protocol in officer-involved shootings. Three deputies were present during the incident, and the injured officer has since been released from the hospital.

Authorities have not yet released the identities of the deceased, citing efforts to notify relatives who live overseas.

As investigators continue their work, neighbors are left trying to make sense of a tragedy that unfolded just steps from their front doors. The Acworth neighborhood remains stunned — and the sheriff’s deputies who responded are receiving counseling following the traumatic encounter.

“It’s heartbreaking on every level,” said Baker. “A son is gone, a mother is gone, and a family is forever changed.”