Suspect wanted in Ohio murder is shot while burglarizing a Georgia home, deputies say
A murder suspect from Ohio was shot by a homeowner while invading a residence in Georgia, deputies say.
Officials discovered Michael Brooks II, 28, was wanted for the fatal stabbing of 77-year-old Emily Foster in Columbus less than a week prior.
Brooks entered a home in Fayette County, Georgia, at around 2 a.m. Sept. 14, the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office said in a Sept. 15 news release.
Deputies went to the home after receiving a call about a burglary in progress, according to the release. They arrived and determined the homeowner “was forced to defend his family” and had shot the suspect in self-defense, deputies said in the release.
“The suspect had approached multiple houses in the neighborhood before targeting the residence in question,” deputies said. The family at the home said they did not know Brooks.
He was taken to the hospital, where he is currently recovering from his injuries, deputies said. When he’s discharged, he’ll be served with an arrest warrant for Foster’s stabbing in Columbus, according to Fayette County officials.
Foster, a former employee of Ohio State University, was stabbed to death near the school’s campus on Sept. 9.
“People are just completely stunned,” Curt Steiner, a longtime friend and colleague of Foster, told The Columbus Dispatch. “She just loved that neighborhood, and it’s so tragic that she would meet her maker there.”
Outside the Georgia home where Brooks was shot, deputies found a red Ford F-150 they said had been reported stolen out of Ohio. Officials said Brooks carjacked the truck in Kettering and used it to travel over 500 miles to Fayette County.
Brooks faces charges of home invasion, burglary and theft by receiving in Georgia, according to the release.
The sheriff’s office believes Brooks acted alone.
“This is an open investigation,” the sheriff’s office said.
Fayette County is about 25 miles southwest of Atlanta.
This story was originally published September 15, 2023 at 7:22 PM.