Canton Double Drive-By Shooting Suspect Pleads Guilty, Sentenced: D.A.

CANTON, GA — A Cartersville man pleaded guilty to multiple charges in connection with two unrelated drive-by shootings in May 2022, Cherokee County District Attorney Susan K. Treadaway's office said Friday.

Treadaway said Timothy Joseph Gregory, 31, pleaded guilty to several charges on May 1.

Cherokee County authorities began investigating Gregory after responding around 2 p.m., May 10, 2022 to a drive-by shooting call at a Carmichael Farms home, Treadaway said.

They found at the scene five bullet casings in the road and sidewalk, Treadaway said. One of the bullets had gone through the garage window before traveling through the far wall of the garage, above a laundry room ceiling and into a walk-in closet, Treadaway said.

No one was injured in the shooting that was witnessed by multiple residents, Treadaway said.

A blue Mazda was captured on video traveling into and later speedily exiting Carmichael Farms; the license plate had been covered with duct tape, Treadaway said.

Two days later, Canton Police responded to another shooting in a Canton community, Treadaway said. Surveillance showed a car pulling into the parking lot and someone firing at least two rounds at an SUV before leaving the scene, Treadaway said.

During the probe, Treadaway said Gregory was identified as the suspect in both shootings.

Gregory was then arrested and deputies searched his home, where Treadaway said they found an AR-15 pistol, a 0.45 caliber Ruger semi-automatic pistol, multiple magazines and ammunition and several flare guns.

“Although the targets the defendant selected appeared to be random, the fact that he covered his license plate with duct tape suggests that his actions were premeditated and that he was trying to avoid detection,” Assistant District Attorney Kelly Chavis said in a news release. “Fortunately, many of our residents have home surveillance cameras, which greatly assisted the investigation.”

Treadaway said Gregory pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated assault, first-degree criminal damage to property, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, interference with government property, second-degree criminal damage to property and three counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Gregory was sentenced to 40 years, with the first 20 years to serve in prison. He was also banned from Cherokee County and ordered to pay restitution, Treadaway said.

“We are thankful for the thorough investigation by local law enforcement, who ensured that this defendant was quickly apprehended, and our community was protected from this dangerous man," Treadaway said in the release.