2 arrested after contractor killed outside Norfolk Southern facility in Cobb

Two men were arrested Thursday, just over a week after a Norfolk Southern contractor was fatally shot at the railroad company’s facility in Austell, officials said.

Keondre Johnson, 28, and Michael Riles, 26, are both facing charges of felony murder, aggravated assault and “several” weapons charges, Cobb County police announced. A possible motive in the killing has not been provided.

The incident happened around 10 p.m. Sept. 14 at the Whitaker Intermodal Terminal along Dr. Luke Glenn Garrett Jr. Memorial Highway in Cobb County. A spokesperson for Norfolk Southern confirmed that same day the shooting happened in the parking lot.

The Cobb police department, which responded to the scene to assist and continues to investigate the shooting, identified the victim as 27-year-old Curdravious Clark.

Austell police Capt. Timothy Allen previously told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution via email that Clark was found lying on the ground suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. The man was taken to Wellstar Cobb Medical Center, where he died, Allen said.

“Our hearts are heavy this morning with the loss of our colleague and we extend our deepest sympathies to their friends and family,” the Norfolk Southern spokesperson said in an earlier statement.

Cobb police spokesperson Eric Smith said in a previous news release the suspects were accused of fleeing the scene in a vehicle. Allen described the incident as “isolated.”

Norfolk Southern also said its own police department was investigating the shooting. The company is headquartered in Atlanta and operates in the Eastern United States.