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January 15, 2026

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January 13, 2026

Woman dropping off daughter for family viewing killed in drive-by shooting outside East Point funeral home

Written by: A. Smith

Published January 13, 2026 @ 10:05 AM ET

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. – A 55-year-old woman was killed, and another woman was injured in a drive-by shooting Friday evening outside an East Point funeral home, police said.

East Point police officers responded to Gus Thornhill’s Funeral Home on Gus Thornhill Jr. Drive after reports of gunfire. Investigators said the woman who died was pronounced dead at the scene by the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office. Her identity has not been released pending notification of next of kin.

A second woman suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was treated at the scene, police said.

According to investigators, the woman who was killed had arrived at the funeral home to drop off her daughter for a family member’s viewing. While she was standing near the entrance of the building, a drive-by shooting occurred involving multiple suspects who fired weapons in the direction of the property. The woman was struck during the gunfire, police said.

At the time of the shooting, multiple families were attending viewings inside the funeral home.

“This is an active investigation,” East Point police said in a statement.

East Point Police Chief Shawn Buchanan condemned the violence, calling the shooting senseless and deeply disturbing.

“I would like to express our deepest sympathy for the families who experienced this tragedy,” Buchanan said. “It’s an outrage that cowardly individuals chose to commit such senseless acts of violence while four families attending viewings were at their most vulnerable. Our team will not rest until justice is served.”

Police have not released suspect descriptions or a motive and are asking anyone with information to contact the East Point Police Department as the investigation continues.