The Paulding County Sheriff’s Office reports that Deputy Brandon Cunningham was shot and killed in an ambush in Hiram, Georgia.
The suspected gunman James Samuel Atkins was later found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot.
Paulding County Sheriff’s Office Press Release
Paulding Deputy Killed in Ambush While Responding to Domestic Dispute
(Paulding County, GA) Sheriff Gary Gulledge, the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office, and the Paulding County community mourn the loss of one of their Deputies. On Saturday, August 17, 2024, at approximately 6:13 PM, Deputy Brandon Cunningham was gunned down as he responded to a domestic dispute.
A male suspect ambushed Deputy Cunningham and his partner as they responded to a domestic dispute at 30 Foggy Creek Lane, Hiram, GA 30141, which is within the Harmony Creek subdivision. Cunningham was shot as he exited his patrol vehicle, never even seeing the threat before being executed. Shots continued to come from inside the residence, preventing his partner from being able to render aid.
As additional Deputies arrived on the scene, they too were unable to reach Deputy Cunningham due to the hail of gunfire that was being rained down upon them.
Initial reports implied that a female victim was shot and left in a vehicle. We can now confirm that the female victim is Kim Thao Vu (W/F, 52 YOA), the wife of the suspect. Vu was attempting to leave the house immediately after Cunningham was shot. She, too, was shot by the suspect. She was taken to an Atlanta area hospital in stable but serious condition.
Deputies brought the Sheriff’s Office armored vehicle, enabling them to get Deputy Cunningham away from the scene and into a waiting ambulance. It is with great sorrow that we can confirm that Deputy Cunningham was pronounced deceased
later that evening at the hospital.
Throughout the evening, multiple metro area S.W.A.T. teams arrived on the scene to assist in capturing the suspect. Eventually, S.W.A.T. teams were able to make entry into the residence utilizing Bearcat armored vehicles, robots, and drones.
When they did, it was discovered that the suspect, identified as James Samuel Atkins (W/M, 42 YOA), was deceased. He appeared to have taken his own life with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
It is important to note that this is an active investigation that is being turned over to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI). No future updates are planned until the GBI can complete its independent investigation.