In the early hours of a Saturday morning in Kennesaw, Georgia, 23-year-old Zakeem Berry was on duty as a security officer at the Town Center at Cobb. While making his routine patrols, a tragic and unexpected series of events unfolded. At approximately 12:20 a.m. on April 19, 2014, police responded to a 911 call and discovered Berry in the roadway near a Red Lobster on George Busbee Parkway, close to one of the main entrances of the mall. He had been shot.
Emergency services transported Berry to WellStar Kennestone Hospital, but he ultimately succumbed to his injuries. A man from Maryland who had relocated to the metro Atlanta area, Berry was remembered by friends for his recent move. The management of Town Center at Cobb expressed their deep sadness over the incident and confirmed that Berry was within the parameters of his security patrol at the time of the fatal encounter. The motive for the shooting remained a mystery to investigators.
The investigation quickly led police to a suspect, identified as 23-year-old Richard Holcomb of Rydal. Shortly after the shooting, Holcomb's family contacted the Bartow County Sheriff's Office, concerned about suicidal text messages they had received from him. Authorities were able to track his cellphone to a Kroger on Cherokee Street in Acworth. Cobb County police were alerted and upon their arrival, they found Holcomb with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Holcomb was taken to the same hospital as his victim, where he also died. Investigators were left with no clear reason as to why Holcomb had shot Berry. The management of the Town Center at Cobb referred to the incident as a 'senseless crime' and extended their condolences to Berry's family, pledging to cooperate fully with the police investigation.
