Georgia House honors fallen Gwinnett officer, prays for injured colleague

The Georgia House of Representatives opened its session Monday with a remembrance for two Gwinnett County police officers shot while responding to an alleged credit-card fraud call.

"Yesterday, Gwinnett County was rocked by unspeakable violence against law enforcement," Representative Jasmine Clark said, describing how officers Pradeep Tamang and Corporal David Reed were dispatched to a hotel. Clark said the officers were greeted by Kevin Andrews, "who invited them in and later shot at the officers." She added that the attack "claimed the life of 25‑year‑old Officer Pradeep Tamang," and that Corporal David Reed "remains hospitalized after suffering serious injuries."

Why it matters: The chamber paused its regular agenda to honor the officers and to recognize the sacrifice and risk law‑enforcement personnel accept while on duty. The House invited members to stand and momentarily suspend business so members could pray for the officer and his family and for the recovery of the wounded officer.

Chairman Hilton, speaking for the Gwinnett delegation, said Tamang "gave everything he had, including his life, to the service of the people of Gwinnett County" and noted that Reed, a department veteran, was "fighting to recover from his wounds." Hilton added that this was the first Gwinnett County line‑of‑duty death since 2018 and only the sixth in the department's history.

The House observed a moment of silence and the chaplain included the officers and their families in his prayer. Speaker Burns and other members asked colleagues to keep the families and the wounded officer in their thoughts as the session moved on to regular business.

What happens next: The remembrance was ceremonial; no legislative action on the incident was taken during the session. Members moved on to reading bills and committee reports after the moment of recognition.