The well-known civic leader who was shot to death in his yard Sunday ate lunch at a local restaurant hours before his death, police say.

Barney Simms, 70, was found about 4 p.m. with “multiple defects” on his body after being struck and killed by at least one bullet, Lt. Charles Hampton, an Atlanta homicide detective, said Monday.

Police are now seeking the man seen at about 2 p.m. with Simms at the Virginia Avenue Waffle House.

“We do know they both ate at the Waffle House,” Hampton said.

Hampton said the man is “pretty recognizable,” with a long nose and wearing a Knicks hat. The man was not described as a suspect but as a person of interest.

“He may have been the last person to see Simms alive.” Hampton said.

About the Author

Keep Reading

Atlanta police officers offer an early assist with the search for Rockdale County escaped inmate Timothy Shane, who ran away from Grady Memorial Hospital on Monday, Dec. 1, 2025. (Ben Hendren for the AJC)

Credit: Ben Hendren for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Featured

Austin Walters died from an overdose in 2021 after taking a Xanax pill laced with fentanyl, his father said. A new law named after Austin and aimed at preventing deaths from fentanyl has resulted in its first convictions in Georgia, prosecutors said. (Family photo)

Credit: Family photo