COBB COUNTY, Ga. — A man has been sentenced after shooting a stranger in the back over a year ago, according to a news release from the Cobb County District Attorney's Office.
Octavious Ward, 28, pled guilty to one count of aggravated assault and one count of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, the release stated.
Cobb County Judge Ann Harris sentenced Ward to 15 years in prison followed by 10 years on probation in what she called an "unprovoked unnecessary attack."
According to the release, Cobb County Police officers responded to the shooting on Station Club Drive in Marietta on May 23, 2022. When officers arrived, the release stated they found a man who had been shot twice in the lower back near his apartment. He was taken to Kennestone Hospital for medical treatment.
The victim told officers that Ward -- who followed him home -- had made an appearance at his workplace earlier in the day with hopes of retrieving a mailbox key. The district attorney's office said Ward was looking for a package with marijuana in it.
They said victim's co-worker, who was temporarily staying with him, was involved in a drug exchange with Ward. The man who was shot wasn't aware of the arrangement, according to the release.
Ward repeatedly asked for the mailbox key and when he refused, that's when Ward shot him in the back and took off.
Two days later, detectives arrested Ward in Gwinnett County. Investigators were able to interview witnesses and find Ward's car using the county's FLOCK license plate readers. While searching Ward's car, the news release stated detectives found the gun used to shoot the victim. Additionally, detectives learned Ward sent a text– saying that he had just shot someone.
During the court proceedings, Assistant District Attorney Lindsay Raynor read the victim's impact statement. He said he continues to suffer from injuries sustained during the shooting. The bullets currently remain in his body. Though more than a year has passed, the victim is still coping with the emotional and physical pain, Raynor said.
