16-year-old charged after car dealership employee is shot and killed, Georgia cops say
Henry Ashley was a 24-year-old father who had plans to get a new home with his wife, she told news outlets.
But the Georgia security guard’s life was cut short when he was shot on the job last month, according to the DeKalb County Police Department.
“I hope they got what they wanted, taking a husband, a son, a father, a brother, so young,” Ashley’s wife, Kyla Rushton, told WSB-TV. “We were planning on buying a house this summer. This was our first time we were able to do this and it all got ripped away in a matter of moments.”
Now, officials say they’ve arrested a suspect in the Atlanta-area homicide case. A 16-year-old — who wasn’t identified in a March 3 news release — has been charged with murder and burglary.
Four other suspects are also wanted in the shooting, which was reported in Stonecrest at about 11 p.m. Feb. 19. Ashley was working at a car dealership on Mall Parkway when officials said he “investigated an alert about a suspicious person” and came into contact with five people, according to police and WXIA.
“Moments after the encounter, Mr. Ashley was shot while he was in his marked work vehicle,” officials said in a news release. “Mr. Ashley was transported to a local hospital, where he later died.”
Ashley leaves behind his wife and a 4-year-old son, according to his obituary and news outlets.
The teen was among several people caught on surveillance footage, according to officials. The suspects reportedly left the dealership in a gray car.
As police continue to search for clues, Crime Stoppers has offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to arrests. Anyone with tips is urged to call officers at 770-724-7850 or Crime Stoppers at 404-577-8477.
“I want to thank the community for its assistance during this investigation,” Mirtha Ramos, the DeKalb County police chief, said in a news release. “This arrest is another example of what happens when the community and police work together.”
This story was originally published March 3, 2022 at 3:27 PM with the headline "16-year-old charged after car dealership employee is shot and killed, Georgia cops say."
