SW Atlanta Community Leader Shot, Killed in His Front Yard

ATLANTA, GA -- Barney Simms, a church and community leader in his southwest Atlanta neighborhood, was found shot to death in front of his Connally Drive home Saturday afternoon.

Police told Channel 2 Action News they heard gunshots around 4 pm. Simms' body was found in a set of bushes off to the side of the house, according to the AJC. The house was unlocked and Simms' black Lexus was missing, but the car was found in East Point around midnight.

No suspects have been arrested in the case.

Here is Simms' bio from Antioch Baptist Church:

Barney Simms began attending Antioch Baptist Church North in 1969 and joined our fellowship in 1971. Brother Simms is currently the Senior Vice President and Chief External Affairs Officer for the Housing Authority of the City of Atlanta.

Brother Simms has established a remarkable record of volunteerism to Atlanta’s children and to the vitality of Atlanta neighborhoods covering more than three decades of service. Brother Simms currently serves as Chairman of the Board for several important Atlanta organizations that support the needs of children and families, including Chairman for the Fulton County Department of Family and Children Services, Chairman of the Board of the Atlanta Metropolitan College Foundation, Chairman of the Board for the Atlanta Victim Assistance, Inc., and Co-Chairman of the Board for the Walter and Andrew Young Family YMCA in Southwest Atlanta, and a member of the Boards of Trustees for Literacy Action, Inc., and the Antioch Urban Ministries, Inc.

Brother Simms is a highly regarded champion for the growth and vitality of Atlanta neighborhoods. He serves as the President of the BonnyBrook Neighborhood Association and Co-Chaired Mayor Shirley Franklin’s BeltLine Tax Allocation District Feasibility Study Steering Committee with Dr. Carl Patton, former President of Georgia State University. When completed, the BeltLine will convert underused rail corridors around the city core into a continuous system of transit and greenways surrounded by parks and pedestrian-friendly mixed use centers of development.

Brother Simms is a well respected and influential thought leader for civic engagements that promote community building and civic pride. He has been honored by Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, the Atlanta Planning Advisory Board, and Concerned Black Clergy and of course by his Church Family and a variety of other civic organizations for his community service.

Brother Simms has been commended twice by the State of Georgia’s Secretary of State Office as an Outstanding Georgia Citizen. He is the recipient of the Phoenix Award from the City of Atlanta and has been cited as one of Atlanta’s most influential citizens in the past five editions of Who’s Who in Black Atlanta. Brother Simms has received the Martin Luther King, Jr. Award for Outstanding Leadership and Community Service and he was honored as a Man of Influence by the Atlanta Business League.

Brother Simms has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English from Knoxville College (Tennessee) and a Master of Science Degree in Library Science from Clark Atlanta University (Georgia). He is a graduate of Leadership Atlanta and the Academy for Community Leadership, Advancement and Innovation at North Carolina State University.

Mr. Simms is a trustee at the Antioch Baptist Church North and the father of two adult children and six grandchildren.