BUFORD — A retired Gwinnett County deputy was shot and killed Wednesday night in an attempted robbery at an O’Reilly Auto Parts store where the deputy worked.
According to the Gwinnett County Police Dept., 63-year-old Felix Cosme was shot during a robbery after Felix tried to assist another employee and drew his weapon.
The incident occurred at the O’Reilly Auto Parts store on Hamilton Mill Road Wednesday evening.
At 7:45 p.m., officers were dispatched to a “person shot” call at the auto parts store. When officers arrived, they found a Cosme dead inside the store.
There were two employees working at the store at the time of the incident. A female employee was outside assisting a customer when she noticed a black male seated in a vehicle in the parking lot.
Based on the preliminary investigation, police say the man followed the employee back inside when she was done with the customer. Once they got back inside, the man asked her to open the cash drawer.
According to police, it was at that point that Cosme walked out from the back of the store and saw the interaction between the female and the suspect. Cosme attempted to pull his weapon when he was shot by the man.
The shooter fled the store, got into his vehicle, and was last seen driving towards I-85.
The Crime Scene Unit along with investigators from the Homicide Unit, Robbery Unit, Gang Unit, and the District Attorney’s Office are working together to determine the events of the crime. It is still unclear if this crime is related to any other events in the area or in the past, police say. A specific description of the suspect and his vehicle are still being pursued.
If anyone has any information to share in this case, please contact detectives at 770-513-5300. To remain anonymous, tipsters can contact Crime Stoppers at 404-577-TIPS (8477) or visit www.stopcrimeATL.com. Crime Stoppers tipsters can receive a cash reward for information leading to an arrest and indictment in this case. The case number is 20-002382.
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