Voicemail records deadly shooting in Hall County

HALL COUNTY, Ga. — A family is pushing for charges after a man was killed in Hall County.

Thomas McNulty was reportedly shot and killed by his girlfriend's father early Sunday morning at a home on Jet Wright Road.

McNulty was accused of shooting his girlfriend, Jessica Rusk, in the back after an argument. Deputies said her father, Floyd Rusk, responded by shooting and killing McNulty.

Police said it appears Rusk was defending his daughter, and no charges have been filed.

Jessica Rusk is recovering at a hospital.

Channel 2 Action News has obtained the voicemail recording of the deadly shooting.

Family members said McNulty called a friend after he shot his girlfriend and it went to voicemail.

“The audio is four minutes long. It takes him, what, 1:20 to kill my cousin?” McNulty’s cousin Lester Hanners said.

The voicemail picked up what happened in the moments leading up to the shooting.

“What is wrong with you?” Floyd Rusk said in the recording.

“I love your daughter, sir. I love your daughter,” McNulty said.

“Don’t kill him. Call 911, please,” Jessica Rusk said.

“Get the police here now. Get the police here now,” Floyd Rusk said.

Hanners said he wants to know what happened before shots were fired.

“I’m not going to deny Jessica was shot, but we don’t know why. We don’t know how. We don’t know if this was an accident. We know nothing about the previous, but what we do know is that audio is a direct contradiction to the statements we’ve been told,” he said.

McNulty’s family said they don’t believe the shooting was justified.

“Why is this being portrayed as a cut-and-dry incident? Why is Mr. Rusk not sitting in jail?” Hanners said. “Jessica Rusk is a victim, but she is not the only victim.”

The sheriff’s office said the case is still open. Investigators are reviewing evidence, including the voicemail recording.

Cox Media Group