An Atlanta man has been sentenced to life in prison for the 2020 killing of a driver in the Lithonia Apartments

Lithonia, Georgia – A 24-year-old Atlanta man will spend the rest of his life in prison for the 2020 fatal shooting of a driver who crashed into an apartment building, trapping an elderly woman inside.

In June, a DeKalb County jury found Gary Davis guilty of first-degree murder, felony murder, first-degree criminal damage to property, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, theft by receiving stolen property, and three counts of aggravated assault.

According to the investigation, the incident occurred on January 30, 2020, when Christopher Yore, 25, and Khalil Winburn, 23, dropped off a passenger at an apartment complex in Lithonia. As Orr began driving away, Davis allegedly ran up to the SUV and fired 16 shots into the vehicle.

The shots caused Orr to lose control of the SUV, which crashed into the wall of an apartment belonging to 79-year-old Janet Thomas, trapping her under the vehicle.

During the shooting, a stray bullet also penetrated the bedroom window of an 11-year-old boy in another apartment. Fortunately, no one inside that apartment was harmed.

Paramedics transported Orr, Thomas and Winburn to Grady Memorial Hospital. While Winburn and Thomas received medical treatment and were eventually released, Orr died from his injuries.

Shortly after the shooting, a bystander alerted investigators to another building within the complex, where they discovered Davis. Surveillance video of the crime showed the shooter wearing a gray hoodie and black jeans, matching clothing later recovered from Davis. Laboratory tests conducted by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation confirmed the presence of gunshot residue on the defendant’s jacket.

A 75-year-old woman is recovering after an SUV crashed into an apartment following a drug-related shooting

A witness inside the apartment provided a statement to investigators, claiming that Davis received a phone call at 9:20 pm on the night of the incident. Davis then allegedly grabbed a gun and left the unit. Several minutes later, he returned and made a statement insinuating that “this is how it’s going to end anyway.”

During the investigation, Winbourne revealed that Davis had previously confronted him, believing that Winbourne was responsible for the August 2019 break-in at Davis’ mother’s home.

Tuesday, a DeKalb County Superior Court judge sentenced Davis to life in prison plus 15 years.