Georgia deputy killed in shooting during domestic dispute call by suspect who took his own life

HIRAM, Ga. — A Georgia sheriff’s deputy was shot and killed while responding to a reported domestic dispute, which police say was an ambush by a suspect who committed suicide and ambushed officers.

Two officers responded to a call shortly after 6 p.m. Saturday and were immediately shot at from a home in a Hiram, Georgia, neighborhood, Paulding County Sheriff’s Office Maj. Ashley Henson said during a briefing.

The male suspect also fired a “hail of bullets” at other officers, but only one was hit, Henson said.

Deputy Brandon Cunningham, 30, died at a hospital from a gunshot wound, Paulding County Sheriff Gary Gulledge confirmed during the briefing.

“Tonight we lost a hero,” Gulledge said, adding that “it’s going to be a difficult time for all of us and all of our guys.”

The suspect, who was not immediately identified, died of what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Henson said.

A woman involved in the domestic dispute had left but returned while police were on the scene. She had also been shot and was taken to an Atlanta-area hospital and is in stable condition, Henson said.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation will oversee the investigation, Henson said, adding that it was not yet clear whether officers returned fire in the community about 27 miles (43 kilometers) northwest of Atlanta.

“Unfortunately, it appears our officers were ambushed,” Henson said.

He called the shooting an “extremely tragic situation” and noted that the sheriff’s office had never lost a deputy in the line of duty before Saturday.

“Our hearts are broken,” Henson said. “You see we’re holding it together, but there’s going to be, there’s already heartache, there’s already tears.”