NEWTON COUNTY, Ga. — A man was shot and killed by an off-duty Rockdale County deputy at an apartment complex in Newton County, according to Newton deputies.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said 20-year-old Ivan Felton of Covington died from his injuries. The shooting happened at the Salem Glen Apartments.
Newton County deputies said they were sent to the complex on Salem Glen Way around 2:14 p.m. Law enforcement added the man killed was "firing shots in the area when an off-duty Rockdale County deputy returned fire."
Before the off-duty Rockdale deputy shot Felton, the GBI said witnesses saw the 20-year-old shooting at a resident.
"The off-duty deputy witnessed Felton chasing the resident, and the deputy shot Felton, fatally wounding him," the GBI said.
Three buildings in the 600-700 range were behind crime scene tape for hours as neighbors tried to figure out what happened. Ahmad McMorris said he lives where the scene was. He said he was at work when he started getting strange phone calls.
"My neighbors had just called me and asked me if I was OK. So, I was trying to figure out what's going on," McMorris said.
When he drove back to the complex, which is in unincorporated Conyers, he said he found an unusual scene. Deputies and investigators lined the street. He also noticed damage at his neighbor's homes.
"They had bullet holes through their windows," McMorris said. "So, now, I'm a little shocked too."
Most of the neighbors were uncomfortable speaking to 11Alive on camera. McMorris was on the scene hugging neighbors who were outside during the shooting. He said they told him there was a suspicious man in the neighborhood Saturday afternoon.
"He kept telling the neighbors to go inside. So, it's like, everybody was trying to figure out why he was here exactly," McMorris said. "And even then, it's like a lot of old people in the neighborhood."
Some neighbors told 11Alive off-camera that they had to duck under cars and use furniture to barricade their doors when they heard the gunshots. A woman who was questioned by police said the shooter looked at her but never hurt her. She heard the law enforcement officers asking the suspect to drop the weapon.
"I guess, it's like he was targeting somebody, something," McMorris said.
McMorris said the off-duty deputy is his neighbor who he sees around frequently.
"It's crazy to me," McMorris said.
McMorris said he's no stranger to these kinds of scenes. He said he's a military veteran and a native New Yorker. Though he's not concerned, he hopes this won't change his neighborhood.
The Rockdale County Sheriff's Office was on scene, but the GBI is handling the investigation.