Hotel evacuated after gunman shoots out door

A Henry County hotel was evacuated Monday after a man walked in carrying at least one gun, opened fire and shot out the door, Henry County police said.

No guests or employees of the Home2 Suites by Hilton were injured in the incident, but the suspect was carried out of the Mill Road hotel on a stretcher after reporting lacerations to his limbs, Capt. Joey Smith said.

Detectives are trying to figure out how he was injured, Smith said.

The incident began about 6:45 a.m. when the unidentified armed man fired at least one shot, shattered the glass of the hotel’s lobby door and went upstairs, Smith said. The suspect, who may have had a long gun and a handgun, said people were chasing him.

Authorities are looking into another possible crime scene based on their observations of the suspect, who was not a guest at the hotel.

“Basically we’re just going to be spreading out now, trying to check his histories, his address history, to determine if there’s another incident somewhere,” Smith said. “We just don’t know right now.”

Andy Fish, who moved from

Tokyo to Georgia two weeks ago, is staying at the hotel temporarily with his wife and two sons.

Fish was at work when he said he got a message from one of his sons that the hotel was evacuated.

SWAT officers went room-to-room as part of a sweep of the hotel, which is located near McDonough. The evacuation ended, and Fish was allowed to return to his room.

JOHN SPINK PHOTOS / JSPINK@AJC.COM A Henry County hotel was evacuated after a man walked in carrying at least one gun, opened fire and shot out the door early Monday. No guests or employees of the Home2 Suites by Hilton were injured in the incident, Capt. Joey Smith said.

Authorities are looking into another possible crime scene based on their observations of the suspect, who was not a guest at the hotel.