I received a shocking phone call Saturday, April 26, from my friend Bekah in Athens that was in the Town and Gown play, “Sherlock Holmes, The Final Adventure.” Bekah was crying hysterically telling me that three of her cast members were murdered that afternoon. I immediately turn on the news to see what was going on in Athens, Georgia.
I come to find out that George M. Zinkhan, a University of Georgia Marketing professor killed three people at the Town and Gown Theater in Athens at a Town and Gown homecoming luncheon. Witnesses said he opened fire and fled the scene. “The three confirmed dead include 47-year-old Marie E. Bruce, Ben Teague, 63, and Thomas Cole Tanner, 40, Clarke County coroner Sonny Wilson said Saturday night. All three were shot multiple times, Wilson said, with Tanner receiving the most wounds (www.ajc.com).”
Zinkhan left the scene in a red Jeep Liberty and no one has seen him since. The news of the shooting on Prince street spread throughout the small town of Athens. Many people were there for the Twilight Criterium bike event going on that evening.
Bruce was Zinkhan’s wife and the mother of their two children who are eight and ten. Zinkhan has not reported back to Athens and is still nowhere to be found. Armed police officers are all over the University’s campus keeping an eye out and protecting students.
In recent news, Zinkhan purchased a plane ticket to the Netherlands. The FBI is now partnering with Athens- Clark County Police force to try and find him.
There seems to be little prodromes to this crisis in Athens, Georgia. After reading multiple news stories, it seems like Zinkhan was a nice man that just kept to himself. According to family friends, they were not aware of any marital problems with the relationship between Bruce and Zinkhan.
Police continue to search for Zinkhan and the crisis is still present!
For more information visit:
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/2009/04/25/uga_professor_shooting.html?cxntlid=homepage_tab_newstab
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iw8wxkpeLufk-1Be-7iJBhA344iAD97R50MO0
