Georgia House pauses to honor Gwinnett officer killed, prays for wounded colleague

Representative Jasmine Clark and members of the Gwinnett delegation asked the Georgia House to stand in remembrance after a deadly shooting that left one Gwinnett County officer dead and another hospitalized.

"Yesterday, Gwinnett County was rocked by unspeakable violence against law enforcement," Representative Jasmine Clark said, recounting that officers Pradeep Tamang and Corporal David Reed responded to a hotel for suspected fraudulent use of a credit card and were shot after the room’s occupant, identified in the remarks as Kevin Andrews, invited them in. Clark said Officer Tamang, 25, died and Corporal Reed remained hospitalized with serious injuries.

The chamber’s Chairman Hilton described Officer Tamang as "one of the best of us," noting he immigrated to the United States about a decade ago and had recently graduated into the department. "He was only 25 years old, and he gave everything he had, including his life, to the service of the people of Gwinnett County," Hilton said, and asked colleagues to keep the families in their prayers.

Nut graf: The House set aside its legislative agenda for a moment of silence, prayers and short remarks acknowledging the sacrifice and service of local law-enforcement officers after a shooting in Gwinnett County. The recollections provided the chamber’s public record of the incident and expressed solidarity with the fallen officer’s family and the wounded officer as he recovers.

Members also heard that, according to remarks on the floor, the shooting was rare in Gwinnett County: Hilton said it was the first line-of-duty death in the county since 2018 and only the sixth in the department’s history. Speakers requested prayers for Corporal Reed’s recovery and for the Tamang family.

The House then returned to regular business after the remembrance and a chapel prayer. No legislative action related to the shooting was taken on the floor during the session recorded in the transcript.