Friend arrested, charged with murder in Paulding woman’s shooting death
A Paulding County woman is dead after she and a close friend became involved in a drunken dispute that escalated into a fatal shooting Saturday night, authorities said.
Shana Nicole Dover, 35, was found with multiple gunshot wounds at a home on Old Locklear Road in Dallas when deputies responded just before midnight, Paulding sheriff’s office spokesman Sgt. Ashley Henson said in a news release.
The 911 caller initially told the dispatcher that Dover had been shot by her brother and that both of them were intoxicated, Henson said. The caller also said bystanders at the house were performing first aid. Despite their attempts at lifesaving measures, Henson said Dover was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators found that the suspected shooter was not actually Dover’s blood relative but a very close friend, Henson said.
Deputies arrested Dover’s friend, 32-year-old Justin Blane Smart, who remained at the home after the shooting, according to Henson. He has been charged with murder and aggravated assault.
Smart was booked into the Paulding County Jail early Sunday morning and remains there without bond, online jail records show. Henson said more charges are likely as the investigation continues.
Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact the sheriff’s office’s criminal investigations tip line at 770-443-3047.
About the Author
Henri Hollis is a restaurant critic and food reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, where he covers Atlanta’s restaurants, chefs and dining culture. As part of the AJC’s Food & Dining team, he reviews new restaurants, reports on industry trends and explores metro Atlanta’s culinary scene through the neighborhoods and people that shape it.
