News Nearby: Police Shoot, Kill Home Invasion Suspect

The suspect in a home invasion is dead after being shot by police in the Norcross area.

According to Gwinnett County Police spokesman Cpl. Edwin Ritter, the suspect forced entry into a home at Woodland Ridge Apartments at 301 Tree Trail Pkwy. in unincorporated Norcross Monday morning (April 22). He later was identified by police as Eric Andrews, 24, of Atlanta.

Two apartment was occupied by two children waiting by themselves for someone to pick them up for school. After the suspect knocked on the door, the children looked through the peephole of the door and refused to answer it since they didn't recognize him. They observed the suspect go around to the rear of the aparrtment and attempt to force entry. The children escaped through the front door and went to the home of a neighbor who called police, according to Ritter.

"The first responding officer was confronted by the suspect as he exited the apartment. The suspect presented a deadly force confrontation with the police officer, forcing to officer to respond with deadly force by shooting the suspect," said Ritter in a news release. The suspect was holding a tire iron, refused to drop it and started advancing toward the officer, he said.

The suspect was transported to Gwinnett Medical Center where he later died from a gunshot wound to his chest. The officer was not injured.

The Gwinnett County Police Deadly Force Investigation Team, comprised of investigators from the Homicide Unit and the Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office, are on scene conducting a thorough investigation into the incident that occurred.

~ Norcross Patch