Coweta murder suspect Kip Harris has been arrested by Coweta Sheriff’s deputies in connection with the Wednesday shooting of south Coweta resident Leon Dennis. Maj. James Yarbrough said 39 year-old Harris was taken into custody around noon at the home of an uncle at a south Coweta address.

A murder warrant for Harris had been issued earlier by Coweta Sheriff’s Office in the shooting death Wednesday afternoon of the 51 year-old Senoia resident.

Commenting shortly after noon Thursday, Yarbrough said a neighbor of Harris’ uncle had called Thursday morning, alerting officers that Harris was located at the residence. The address of the uncle was not immediately known, Yarbrough said.

Harris resides at 314 Deep South Road, near where the shooting occurred.

Yarbrough said the Wednesday shooting at 1143 Johnson Road, located approximately four miles south of Sharpsburg, may have occurred as a result of an altercation.

Harris, Dennis and possibly two other men were at the address at the time of the shooting. The men were drinking and may have been working on a vehicle, Yarbrough said. The altercation apparently escalated, resulting in Dennis being shot once in the head with a .380-caliber handgun, said Yarbrough.

The handgun was found near the scene of the shooting, Yarbrough said.

Children across the street were in visual range of the shooting and went inside a home to tell their mother, who called 911 to report the shooting, Yarbrough said.

Officers responded to the scene and began the search for Harris after he reportedly ran into a wooded area. Officers were supported overhead Wednesday by helicopters from Fayette County.

Yarbrough said officers combing the area did spot Harris on several occasions in the woods but were unable to subdue him.

login to post comments