LAWRENCEVILLE, GA -- The victim in the shooting case involving Clayton County Sheriff Victor Hill spent more than an hour with Gwinnett County investigators Wednesday. They're trying to shape the charges against Hill, which are likely to go before a grand jury next month.
Gwenevere McCord, 43, suffered a devastating gunshot wound on May 3. She was shot while she was with Sheriff Victor Hill inside her Gwinnett County real estate office – in what she and Hill say was an accidental shooting. She spent weeks in a hospital recovering.
"Her medical condition has improved remarkably. And she's perfectly cooperative with us," said Gwinnett County District Attorney Danny Porter.
McCord showed up at the Gwinnett District Attorney's office at 8:50 a.m. in company of Mike Puglise – the Gwinnnett County attorney representing Victor Hill. The pair spent more than an hour with Gwinnett DA Danny Porter – who has to decide how to present the criminal case to a grand jury next month.
Porter said McCord requested Puglise's presence during the interview, and that the attorney did not interrupt the questioning. "It's a unique situation certainly. I'll give you that," Porter said of the alleged gunman's attorney's presence in a victim interview. "But I didn't think it was going to make any difference. And it made her more comfortable, so that was the reason I did it."
On July 23 -- more than two months after the shooting -- McCord struck a friendly pose with Hill on a Facebook post. Hill has declined interview requests on the shooting, but has described her in a statement as a "dear friend."
Porter said the interview with helpful. "She has a better memory of the events than I thought she might have. We were able to have a pretty broad ranging interview and we found out some information we didn't know." Porter declined to elaborate.
McCord has contended that the shooting was an accident – consistent with Sheriff's Hill's statement that the gun went off as he demonstrated what he called "police tactics."
McCord declined our request for an interview. But Puglise, her attorney, told 11Alive News after the interview that "she maintains one hundred percent ... that this was purely an accident."
Hill currently faces a charge of misdemeanor reckless conduct. Porter indicated McCord's interview is not likely to change that.
"It may change certain trial strategy decisions and that kind of thing. But the overall thrust of the case, I don't think is really going to change," Porter said.
