The suspect in a weekend shooting spree that wounded three people in Stephens County is being held in jail without bond. Police charged Antuan Demetrius Prather, 31, of Toccoa, with three counts of aggravated assault. The charges stem from two separate shootings that happened within an hour of each other on August 1.
Toccoa police charged Prather after state and local investigators executed several search warrants. Additional charges are pending.
“Agents with the GBI and TPD Investigators continued this morning executing additional search warrants and processing the vehicle used in the Sunday shootings,” says Mize. He identified one of the three shooting victims as Andrew McKnight, 28, of Jefferson.
Around 11:37 a.m. Sunday, McKnight was shot in the leg while in his vehicle at the Marathon gas station on Big A Road and Currahee Street. Nearby police heard the gunshots and responded quickly to the scene, says Mize. Witnesses called 911 and described the suspect and vehicle.
About an hour later, a 911 caller reported another shooting five miles away at Tony’s General Store on U.S. Highway 23. Police say two people were wounded there. Officials have not released their names.
Approximately an hour and twenty minutes after the first shooting occurred, officers conducted a felony traffic stop on the suspect vehicle at the Valero gas station on North Big A Road. They took Prather into custody without incident.
“At this time, it appears there is no known motive for the shooting and no known connection between the suspect and the victim [McKnight],” says Chief Mize. It’s unclear whether Prather knew either of the victims in the U.S. 23 shooting. Stephens County Sheriff Randy Shirley has not responded to Now Habersham’s requests for comment.
Paramedics airlifted McKnight to Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville, where, at last report, he was listed in stable condition.
Chief Mize says he’s grateful to all the witnesses who helped by calling 911, adding, “This case remains open and is still under investigation.” The GBI is assisting with the investigation.
