Manhunt continues for suspect who killed Gwinnett County correctional officer
GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. December 16, 2022– Police are hoping a new image taking from security footage will help investigators in the manhunt for a murder suspect accused of killing a Gwinnett County correctional officer.
It’s been more 48 hours since police found 59-year-old Officer Scott Riner shot to death in the parking lot of the Gwinnett Correctional Center.
Wednesday, investigators released a new image taken from surveillance footage of a suspect in the shooting that featured the man’s profile in the hopes someone will recognize him and call police.
Sgt. Jennifer Richter with the Gwinnett Police Department says they are working on any tips and leads that have been sent to them in the hopes of identifying the man.
“We want to talk to anyone who thinks they might have information,” Richter said.
Authorities tell FOX 5 the shooting happened at around 6:20 a.m. Tuesday in the parking lot of the facility, which is located on Hi Hope Road.
According to investigators, Riner got into some sort of altercation with the man after he arrived at work. At some point during the confrontation, the man shot Riner and fled the scene.
Gwinnett Police have released surveillance video of the murder suspect, saying the video shows the suspect was in the area for an extended period of time before the shooting.
“We are hoping when people look at that video that they will see something that is familiar to them something about the way the individual is walking, maybe some detail about clothing or the way that he is holding himself or maybe something that has to do with the headgear it seems like he is wearing,” Richter said.
Police are asking anyone who was in the area between 4 and 7 a.m. to contact them.
“If you are running a dash cam particularly please look at your footage and see if there is anything that might be helpful to us,” Richter said. “If you were on Petty Road, Sunny Lake Road, Progress Industrial, Progress Center, Hi Hope Lane – any of those roadways in that area that sounds familiar to you in your regular traveling, please let us know,” she said.
At this time, police do not know the motive behind the shooting or confrontation.
If you have any information that could help with the investigation, call the Gwinnett County Police Department.
Scott Riner was an employee at the correctional facility for around 10 years.
Officials described the officer as a father and grandfather who was respected and well liked by both guards and prisoners at the facility.
“My prayers really go out to his family. I want his family to know that he was our family as well, and we are going to get through this together,” said Captain Audrey Henderson, who worked with Riner.
Henderson said Riner had a great personality and was well-liked by his co-workers and inmates.
As they search for his killer, Riner’s law enforcement family mourn the death of one of their own.
“Anytime we lose one of our own it is extremely difficult, extremely emotional but what the police department is going to do is to help him and honor his memory and his family is to work this case as hard as we can and to catch the person that did this,” Richter said.
