Possible road rage incident leads to deadly shooting

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Police are hoping surveillance cameras captured a possible road rage incident that left a man dead in the middle of a Gwinnett County road.

The victim’s body was found in the roadway on Button Gwinnett Drive. The man’s SUV was a short distance away. Police also found a minivan about 50 yards away with no driver in sight.

Gwinnett County police said it is a very complicated situation that they are still trying to figure out.

Investigators believe the drivers of the two vehicles may have gotten into some sort of road rage incident in the industrial area just off I-85 near the Gwinnett/ DeKalb county line around 8:30 p.m. Thursday.

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Police believe the suspect may have been driving what was reported to be a stolen minivan, which appeared to have a bullet hole in the driver's side window.

Detectives said the victim, identified as Michael J. Harvey, 39, of Snellville, had several injuries, including a gunshot wound.  He died not long after being discovered.

“We don’t know if the injuries were from a traffic accident, or a road rage incident, but upon further investigation, that's when they discovered he had a gunshot wound to his body,” Cpl. Michele Pihera said. “What we need to know right now is how this person died. Was it a result of the traffic accident, or something else?”

Employees at the nearby ABC Supply Company said they didn't hear a thing. Jim Crider told Channel 2's Tony Thomas that he and other employees were just finishing inventory when they saw blue lights converging on the building.

"When we first came out, we saw a lot of confusion and someone laying in the road," he said.

Crider said police found a key piece of evidence just feet from Harvey's body.

"They said they found a rifle over in the ditch over here," he said.

Detectives are still looking for the driver of the minivan and said they aren't sure if he ran away, or was picked up by someone else.

"We know these incidents happen in a matter of seconds, or minutes, but it takes us several days, weeks, months, or even longer to figure out," Pihera said.

Cox Media Group