Man arrested after Forsyth County shooting prompts manhunt

CUMMING, Ga. — A man is in custody after an alleged shooting on the morning of Jun. 30  in Forsyth County that prompted a shelter-in-place order, damaged a nearby home and led to a multi-agency manhunt, according to Forsyth County Sheriff Ron Freeman.

The incident began at about 8:34 a.m. Tuesday when Forsyth County 911 received multiple reports of shots fired near Kelly Mill Road and the Barrett Downs neighborhood, Freeman said.

While deputies were responding, a caller reported that bullets had penetrated a child’s bedroom in a nearby home.

Deputies determined that a dispute between people who knew each other had occurred at the corner of 1628 Kelly Mill Road. Because of the seriousness of the incident, authorities issued a shelter-in-place request for residents in the area.

According to Freeman, investigators determined that gunfire had been directed at a vehicle during the dispute. Deputies later located the vehicle at a business near Kelly Mill and Bethelview roads with numerous bullet holes. A woman involved in the incident was found at the scene and told deputies that the alleged victim, James Treadwell, had fled.

Deputies later located Treadwell near Buford Dam and Nuckolls roads, where he was arrested on outstanding warrants from Henry County, according to the sheriff.

Investigators then focused on locating the suspected shooter, identified as Jason Simmons. Authorities believed Simmons might still be inside the Kelly Mill Road residence, prompting the deployment of the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office SWAT Team. The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office Drone Team assisted as deputies secured the home.

Freeman said deputies recovered a firearm believed to have been used in the shooting, but Simmons was not inside the residence.

Law enforcement agencies launched a large-scale search of the surrounding area, with assistance from K-9 units from the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, the Johns Creek Police Department and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

At about 2 p.m., a resident reported seeing movement in her backyard. Cherokee and Forsyth K-9 teams responded and tracked Simmons, who was taken into custody without serious incident, Freeman said.

Simmons is being interviewed by detectives with the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit. He has been charged with aggravated assault, a felony, and additional charges are expected, according to the sheriff.

Freeman thanked the agencies that assisted during the operation, including the Hall County Sheriff’s Office, Georgia Department of Corrections, Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, Johns Creek Police Department, Dawson County Sheriff’s Office and North Fulton SWAT.

“This individual endangered the lives of multiple citizens today,” Freeman said in a statement. “He will answer for his actions in front of a Forsyth County jury. I extend my sincere appreciation to all of the agencies who assisted FCSO today and for their continued dedication and partnership in keeping our communities safe. I am truly proud of the dedication of our FCSO deputies who were not leaving the scene without this suspect being taken into custody.”