ATLANTA — A metro Atlanta dentist is facing murder charges after Atlanta police say he drove more than 20 miles to a southwest Atlanta business and shot a man he suspected of breaking in.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
It was just before 3 p.m. on Saturday when APD responded to reports of a person shot at a business in the 3400 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.
When officers arrived, they were approached by 73-year-old David Mays, who told police he had shot someone inside the building, the warrant states.
Officers entered the business and found 37-year-old Monterio Spurling lying on the floor with multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators say Mays told detectives he was at his home in Tyrone around 1 p.m. when he received an alert from his Ring security camera showing someone inside the vacant business, which he owns.
TRENDING STORIES:
- 2-year-old shot, killed in Sandy Springs, police say
- Teacher spotted suspected school shooter with gun in backpack 42 minutes before deadly attack
- Metro Atlanta man armed with shotgun running toward US Capitol ‘just wanted to talk,’ he told police
Instead of calling police, Mays told investigators he grabbed a bag containing his Sig Sauer 9mm pistol, got into his wife’s vehicle and drove approximately 22 miles to the property, according to the warrant.
Police say that after arriving, Mays noticed damage to the front door lock, opened the door and immediately fired his gun four or five times at a person inside.
Five shell casings were recovered near the entryway, investigators said.
During a recorded interview, Mays told detectives he recognized Spurling as someone who had previously broken into the building. However, police say Mays acknowledged that Spurling did not make any aggressive movements toward him and that he did not see a weapon in Spurling’s hands.
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Investigators also reviewed Ring camera footage from Mays’ phone. According to the warrant, the video shows Spurling entering the building at 12:43 p.m. and Mays arriving at 2:53 p.m. with a gun in his hand. Gunshots can be heard immediately after the door opens.
Police say Mays did not contact law enforcement between seeing the video and arriving at the property. He called 911 only after the shooting.
In the warrant, investigators wrote that the evidence and Mays’ own statements do not provide a justifiable reason for shooting Spurling.
Mays was taken into custody and transported to Atlanta police headquarters for questioning. He is now charged with murder. It was not immediately clear whether he has an attorney.
The investigation remains ongoing.