Son Fatally Shoots Mom Before Dying By Suicide At Cobb Home, GBI Says

MARIETTA, GA — Police have identified the man accused of fatally shooting his 71-year-old mother before dying by suicide Sunday in the 3100 block of Vandiver Drive.

Cobb County Police on Monday said William F. Peake shot and killed his mother, Lorrie Peake, during a SWAT standoff at the Marietta home.

Officers conducted a welfare check at the home around 8:30 a.m. after a woman reported not being able to reach her mother, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said.

The woman also claimed William Peake, who was living in the home, "was experiencing a mental health crisis," the GBI said.

When officers arrived, they tried to make contact with William Peake; however, the GBI said he demanded the officers leave the property.

Police said he did not respond to repeated requests to come to the front door. After more unsuccessful attempts, police said they began obtaining a search warrant to enter the home.

Around 11 a.m., police said they heard a gunshot inside the home, and the SWAT team was then activated.

A SWAT drone was deployed, and the GBI said authorities were able to see a woman who seemed unresponsive and injured inside the home.

Officers tried communicating with William Peake, who police said was seen on drone camera armed with a handgun.

CCPD's crisis negotiators responded but attempted communication was unsuccessful, police said.

SWAT officers entered the home and found Lorrie Peake dead, the GBI said. Officers then saw William Peake move from room to room before hearing another gunshot, police said.

The SWAT officers then left the home and requested William Peake surrender before deploying gas into the home, the GBI said.

Instead, the GBI said Peake stayed in the home and refused to comply with commands.

He shot at the officers from inside the home, hitting two vehicles, the GBI said. He then appeared in a front window of the home with a gun, the GBI said.

An officer shot William Peake, and he fell to the floor, the GBI said.

Officers deployed a bomb robot to the window, and the robot's camera showed William Peake holding the gun and trying to stand, the GBI said.

"He pointed the gun out the window and at himself multiple times before shooting himself," the GBI said.

He and his mother were pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

Their bodies are being taken to the Cobb County Medical Examiner's Office for an autopsy, the GBI said.

The GBI's case file will be turned over to the Cobb County District Attorney’s Office for review once completed.

If you or someone you know is considering self-harm or suicide, there are resources available. The National Suicide Prevention Hotline operates 24 hours a day and can be reached at 988. The Crisis Text Line can provide support through text messages by texting "HOME" to 741741.