Prosecutors to seek death penalty against man charged in Gwinnett officer’s murder

Written by: KC Harrington

Published March 5, 2026 @ 12:45 AM ET

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Prosecutors plan to seek the death penalty against a man accused of killing a Gwinnett County police officer and seriously injuring another during a February shooting at a hotel near Stone Mountain.

Kevin Andrews is charged in connection with the Feb. 1 shooting at the Holiday Inn Express on East Park Place Boulevard that left Officer Pradeep Tamang dead and Officer David Reed wounded.

During a preliminary hearing Tuesday, testimony from a Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent outlined the events leading up to the shooting. According to investigators, Reed responded around 7:30 a.m. to a report that a hotel room had been obtained using fraudulent information. Tamang later arrived to assist with the call.

Authorities said the officers made contact with Andrews, who was seated in a wheelchair inside room 118. When the officers informed him he was under arrest on an unrelated failure-to-appear warrant, Andrews allegedly pulled a modified handgun from the front pocket of his sweatshirt.

Investigators testified the weapon had been altered with a conversion device that allows a semiautomatic firearm to fire multiple rounds with a single pull of the trigger.

During the encounter, Tamang was struck by gunfire and later died from his injuries. Reed was shot in the neck and suffered significant injuries, including hearing loss, facial paralysis, and vision complications.

Despite being wounded, investigators said Reed managed to subdue Andrews by pulling him from the wheelchair, forcing him to the ground, and placing him in handcuffs. Testimony indicated Reed then attempted to call for assistance but had difficulty hearing through his radio earpiece due to his injuries. He switched to a handheld radio to communicate his location to responding officers so they could provide aid.

Authorities said Andrews made statements after being taken into custody that were captured on body camera footage.

Andrews faces multiple charges, including malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. A judge ruled there was probable cause for the charges and ordered the case transferred to Gwinnett County Superior Court.

Prosecutors stated in court that they intend to pursue the death penalty once a formal indictment is issued.

Investigators also testified that Andrews has a criminal record dating back to 2007, including convictions for aggravated assault and statutory rape, as well as several probation violations and failures to appear in court.