Stone Mountain woke up Sunday to the kind of silence that follows heartbreak. Gwinnett County Police Senior Officer Pradeep Tamang did not walk out of a hotel room he entered to do his job. What began as a routine response ended in gunfire, loss, and a department in mourning.
The shooting unfolded inside a room at the Holiday Inn Express in Stone Mountain, Georgia. Officers were responding to a call about a stolen credit card. According to investigators, the card’s owner in South Carolina had alerted police after noticing fraudulent charges tied to the hotel.
Officer Tamang and Master Police Officer David M. Reed arrived and spoke with the hotel’s front desk manager. They were told the room connected to the suspicious transaction was rented to Kevin Andrews Jr., 35. The officers went to the room to make contact, expecting questions and paperwork, not bullets.
Once inside, authorities say the officers learned Andrews had an active warrant out of DeKalb County for failure to appear. As they attempted to take him into custody, the situation turned violent. Investigators say Andrews pulled out a handgun and opened fire inside the confined space of the hotel room.
Officer Tamang was fatally shot. Officer Reed was also hit but survived. Despite being wounded, both officers returned fire. Andrews was struck during the exchange and taken to the hospital. The Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office said he has not yet been booked into jail.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has taken over the case. Andrews now faces a long list of serious charges, including malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault on a public safety officer, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Investigators also revealed that Andrews had been paralyzed in a previous shooting several years ago.
Officer Tamang’s death has sent waves of grief through Gwinnett County and beyond. Colleagues describe him as steady, committed, and deeply respected. He was answering a call meant to protect someone else’s property. Instead, he paid with his life.
As the investigation continues, the focus remains on honoring Officer Tamang and supporting Officer Reed as he recovers. A simple call. A small hotel room. A loss that now belongs to an entire community.
Relevant pictures available online for this story:
Images of Officer Pradeep Tamang in uniform from Gwinnett County Police releases; a booking or file photo of suspect Kevin Andrews Jr. provided by authorities; exterior shots of the Holiday Inn Express in Stone Mountain taken by local news crews; and law enforcement presence photos from the scene shared by Georgia-based media outlets.
