GRANTVILLE, Ga. — Weeks after the owners of a mom-and-pop gun store and their grandson were shot and killed in Grantville, their family is addressing the public.
The Hawk family spoke alongside law enforcement in a 10 a.m. Monday morning press conference.
Grantville Police said Richard Hawk — the son of owners Tommy Hawk and his wife Evelyn Hawk, and the father of their teenage grandson Luke Hawk, who were all killed in the shooting — found the bodies of three of his relatives at the Lock Stock and Barrel Shooting Range and called 911.
Richard is also the Coweta County coroner. At the Monday press conference, alongside his wife, Donna, and daughter, Audrey, Richard said the family is grateful to be part of such a supportive community.
"It feels like your heart's imploded just in pieces, and to see the love and support we've gotten, it takes one of those little pieces and puts it back in place," he said.
Authorities announced an arrest days after the shooting on April 15, calling it a joint effort between several law enforcement agencies.
"When the call came that night, I just live a few miles from there, so I went," Coweta County Sheriff Lenn Wood said as he became visibly emotional. "I didn't do anything. The sheriff's office was there as a support role, and we were there to assist in any way we could. It was City of Grantville's jurisdiction."
Jacob Christian Muse, a 21-year-old of College Park, is charged with three counts of malice murder in the family's April 8 shooting deaths.
Although police previously said Muse frequented the gun store and knew the Hawks, on Monday, Richard said he didn't know Muse personally.
Richard said he felt like "a ton of bricks" had been lifted off his shoulders when he heard someone was charged in his loved ones' killing.
The family is not addressing the public again until, Richard said, justice is severed. He's hoping Muse is reprimanded to "the fullest extent of the law."
"As a coroner I've... told a lot of people out there — and I'm sorry for it — that there's going to be closure one day. I don't think there is. That word will not be in my vocabulary anymore," Richard said.
Grantville Police Chief Steve Whitlock said officials were not commenting on any point of the investigation, and that the press conference was solely to hear from the family. However, at the time of Muse's arrest, Whitlock said the motive for the attack was unknown.