Andre Longmore and the 2023 Hampton Mass Shooting
Overview
Andre James Longmore was responsible for a deadly shooting spree that killed four people in Hampton, Georgia, on July 15, 2023. The violence occurred in and around the Dogwood Lakes subdivision, a residential neighborhood in Henry County approximately 35 miles south of Atlanta. Longmore, who was 40 years old, lived in the same neighborhood as the victims.
The shootings began during the late morning and unfolded at multiple locations within a relatively small area. Longmore targeted people who were outside or near their homes, killing three men and one woman. Authorities did not publicly establish a clear motive for the attacks, and investigators said there was no known dispute connecting all four victims to the gunman.
After the killings, Longmore fled the neighborhood, triggering an intensive search involving local, state and federal law-enforcement agencies. The manhunt ended the following day when officers located him in Clayton County. Longmore exchanged gunfire with police and was fatally shot. Several law-enforcement officers were injured during the confrontation.
The Shooting Spree
At approximately 10:45 a.m. on Saturday, July 15, 2023, emergency dispatchers began receiving reports of gunfire in the Dogwood Lakes subdivision. Responding officers discovered several victims at different locations in the neighborhood. Police determined that the shootings were connected and identified Longmore as the suspected gunman.
The first victims were Scott and Shirley LeVonne, a married couple who lived near Longmore. Both were shot outside their residence. Investigators said Scott LeVonne was killed in the street, while Shirley LeVonne was found nearby. Their deaths marked the beginning of the attack and alerted other residents to the danger unfolding around them.
Longmore then moved through the subdivision and encountered Ronald Jeffers, another neighborhood resident. Jeffers was shot and killed while outside. Longmore continued through the area and later shot Steve Blizzard, who was also a resident of the subdivision.
The victims were not gathered at a party, business or public event. They were attacked individually or in pairs during their normal morning activities in a quiet residential community. The scattered locations of the bodies initially forced officers to search a broad area while attempting to determine whether the gunman was still nearby.
Victims
- Scott LeVonne, 67 — Killed on July 15, 2023, near his home in the Dogwood Lakes subdivision in Hampton, Georgia. He and his wife, Shirley, were among the first people attacked.
- Shirley LeVonne, 66 — Killed on July 15, 2023, outside or near the couple’s residence in the Dogwood Lakes subdivision. She was shot during the same opening stage of the attack in which her husband was killed.
- Ronald Jeffers, 66 — Killed on July 15, 2023, at another location within the Dogwood Lakes neighborhood in Hampton. He was outside when Longmore encountered and shot him.
- Steve Blizzard, 65 — Killed on July 15, 2023, in the Dogwood Lakes subdivision. He was the fourth known victim of Longmore’s shooting spree.
Identification of the Gunman
Witness accounts and evidence gathered in the neighborhood quickly led investigators to identify Andre Longmore as the suspected shooter. Authorities released his name, photograph and physical description while warning the public that he was armed and dangerous.
Longmore was believed to have left the area in a black sport utility vehicle. Police searched the subdivision and surrounding communities while using helicopters, canine teams and heavily armed tactical officers. Residents were advised to remain indoors, lock their doors and avoid approaching anyone matching Longmore’s description.
A reward was offered for information leading to his arrest. Multiple agencies joined the search, including the Hampton Police Department, Henry County Police Department, Henry County Sheriff’s Office, Georgia Bureau of Investigation and federal law-enforcement personnel.
The Manhunt
The search continued throughout July 15 and into the following day. Investigators examined Longmore’s possible contacts and locations where he might seek shelter. Authorities also circulated information about the vehicle he was believed to be driving.
On July 16, 2023, law-enforcement officers received information that Longmore had been seen in the Jonesboro area of Clayton County, south of Atlanta. Officers located the vehicle associated with the search and pursued Longmore to a residential area.
Longmore abandoned the vehicle and attempted to escape on foot. He entered or moved around houses in the area while armed, forcing officers to establish a perimeter and warn nearby residents. The confrontation developed in a neighborhood near Battle Creek Road and North McDonough Street in Jonesboro.
Final Confrontation
Officers eventually encountered Longmore during the afternoon of July 16. Gunfire was exchanged between Longmore and law enforcement. A Henry County sheriff’s deputy and a Clayton County police officer were wounded during the confrontation. Another officer also suffered an injury during the operation.
Longmore was struck by police gunfire and died at the scene. The wounded officers were transported for medical treatment. Their injuries were described as serious but survivable.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation was asked to examine the officer-involved shooting. Such investigations are conducted separately from the homicide investigation to determine the sequence of events, the weapons fired and whether the officers’ use of deadly force was legally justified.
Investigation and Possible Motive
Investigators searched Longmore’s home, the vehicle used during his escape and the locations connected to the shootings. Firearms, ammunition and other physical evidence were examined to establish how the attack was carried out.
Authorities did not announce a definitive motive. Longmore lived near the victims, but police did not identify a single argument, financial dispute or other event that clearly explained why the four residents were selected. Officials also did not describe the attack as gang-related, robbery-related or connected to organized terrorism.
Because Longmore died before he could be arrested and questioned, investigators were unable to obtain a direct explanation from him. His death also meant that no criminal trial would be held. The homicide investigation instead focused on documenting his movements, confirming that he acted alone and providing the victims’ families with the fullest possible account of what occurred.
Community Impact
The killings stunned Hampton, a small city where residents were unaccustomed to large-scale violence. Families in the Dogwood Lakes subdivision remained inside their homes for hours as officers searched yards, streets and wooded areas for the gunman.
After Longmore was killed, residents gathered to mourn Scott and Shirley LeVonne, Ronald Jeffers and Steve Blizzard. The victims were remembered as neighbors whose ordinary Saturday morning was interrupted by sudden and unexplained violence.
The case became one of Georgia’s most serious mass killings of 2023. Four people were murdered, multiple officers were wounded and two counties were placed at the center of a search that lasted more than a day. Although the immediate threat ended with Longmore’s death on July 16, the absence of a confirmed motive left lasting questions for the victims’ relatives and the Hampton community.
