Georgia district attorney investigator shot in metro Atlanta

An off-duty investigator with the Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office in Georgia was shot Friday as he was driving in the town of Dacula.

According to Gwinnett County Police Sgt. Michele Pihera, officers responded at about 6 p.m. on Friday to a call from the investigator saying he had been shot by another driver near the intersection of Auburn Road and Old Fountain Road. After the shooting, the suspect continued through the Auburn Road intersection toward Dacula Road.

The investigator pulled up to a nearby gas station and alerted police over his radio that he had been shot in the leg. The investigator was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

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The police department said multiple law enforcement agencies across metro Atlanta are searching for a silver SUV with damage to the rear passenger side of the vehicle. Nearby roads were closed while dozens of officers investigated the incident.

It is unclear what led to the shooting. Investigators with the district attorney’s office ride in unmarked vehicles, so there were no obvious signs he was working for law enforcement, police said.

“It doesn’t appear right now that the investigator was attached to any police-related investigation. He was simply driving down the road when he was shot at by the shooter,” Pihera said at a news briefing, according to Fox 5 Atlanta.

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Police are still investigating whether this incident was a targeted shooting, road rage or another motive. The investigator was at the hospital and officers went to businesses in search of possible surveillance video of the incident or the vehicle.

The Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office uses investigators to follow up on leads after police hand cases over for prosecution.

“We need families to stay intact and whoever did this, at this point, we will bring you to justice,” Gwinnett County District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson said.

Investigators are sworn law enforcement officers.