In the late hours of an autumn evening in Gwinnett County, Georgia, a dispute in the back parking lot of a Budgetel Inns and Suites on Stone Mountain Highway in Lilburn would end a man's life. On Friday, October 11, 2024, police were dispatched to the hotel after a 911 caller reported a shooting. Upon their arrival, they discovered Victor Ricks, a 60-year-old male from the nearby city of Snellville, suffering from a gunshot wound. Emergency services transported Ricks to a local hospital, but his injuries proved to be fatal.
The investigation into the shooting quickly led to a suspect who was known to the victim. Police arrested 57-year-old Hugh Forman of Lawrenceville in connection with the fatal shooting. The motive for the shooting has not been publicly released by authorities, but it was confirmed that the two men were acquainted with each other prior to the incident. Details surrounding their relationship and the events that led up to the violent confrontation remain largely undisclosed. An obituary for Victor E. Ricks, who was born on August 4, 1964, in Trenton, New Jersey, indicated that he was a veteran of the United States Army.
Following his arrest, Hugh Forman faced a series of serious charges, including malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. In a development that brought a close to the legal chapter of this case, a Gwinnett County jury convicted Forman on all counts. In February of 2026, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, with an additional five years to be served.
