Troup County was quiet Wednesday night until gunfire shattered a home on Big Springs Mountville Road. By the time deputies arrived, one man was dead and another was fighting to survive. The shooting has left a family grieving and a community searching for answers.
Deputies with the Troup County Sheriff’s Office were called out around 7:49 p.m. on February 4 to a residence at 209 Big Springs Mountville Road. The call came in as a report of two adult men who had been shot. When officers reached the scene, they found both victims suffering from gunshot wounds.
Deputies moved fast. They began life-saving efforts right away, working until firefighters and EMS crews took over. Despite those efforts, one of the men did not make it.
Authorities identified the man who died as Jeffery Scott, 54. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The second victim, Walter Keene, 50, was rushed to Wellstar West Georgia Medical Center for treatment. Officials have not released details about his condition.
Investigators say the shooting was not random. According to the Sheriff’s Office, the suspect, Zachary Thompkins, 32, went to the home to confront one of the men over a prior disagreement. What started as an argument quickly turned violent.
During the confrontation, Thompkins allegedly pulled out a gun and opened fire, striking both men. After the shooting, investigators say he fled the scene. A short time later, he was located at a residence on Greenville Road.
Thompkins was taken into custody without incident. He now faces serious charges, including murder, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime. He is being held as the investigation continues.
The Troup County Sheriff’s Office says the case remains active, and more details may be released later. For now, the focus remains on a life lost, another forever changed, and the ripple effect left behind on a quiet county road.
