The deaths of three family members are the first homicides in at least 20 years for the small town of Grantville in Coweta County, according to investigators.
The GBI, one of multiple agencies assisting in the investigation, says Grantville hasn’t had a homicide since at least 2002. The current police chief, Steve Whitlock, said Wednesday he’s not sure if there was a homicide case before then, either.
“I’ve been here eight years and it’s been a nice, little quiet place,” Whitlock told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
That changed Friday night when the Coweta coroner made a gruesome discovery. His 75-year-old parents, Tommy Richard Hawk Sr. and Evelyn Gail Hawk, and his 18-year-old son, Alexander “Luke” Hawk, were dead inside the family’s Lock Stock and Barrel gun range and shop. Whitlock quickly called in the GBI to assist with the investigation and neighboring agencies also offered their support. When officers determined about 40 weapons had been stolen from the gun shop, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was also called in.
Since late Friday, investigators have worked constantly, Whitlock said. Numerous tips have come in from the public and officers are following up on each of those, he said.
The deaths have shocked the community, where many knew the Hawk family through either their jobs or dedication to their church.
Credit: Family photos
Credit: Family photos
Tommy Hawk worked for 30 years at Ford Motor Company before retiring to open his gun business, according to his online obituary. His wife, Evelyn, played piano at the Emmanuel Baptist Church in Newnan and sang with the choir when she wasn’t working alongside her husband.
An East Coweta High School senior, Luke was in a work-study program that allowed him time to help his grandparents at the gun range. That’s where he was late Friday as spring break was winding down for Coweta students.
Luke had planned to attend Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in the fall, according to his family. A scholarship fund has been created at the Tifton college to honor him.
The funeral for the Hawks will be held at Unity Baptist Church in Newnan at 2 p.m. Thursday, according to McKoon Funeral Home, which is handling arrangements.
IF YOU HAVE INFORMATION
The ATF: Anyone with information is asked to contact the ATF by calling 888-283-8477, email ATFTips@atf.gov or visit the tip line at atf.gov/contact/atf-tips. Those with information can also submit an anonymous tip via reportit.com.
The GBI: Anyone who visited the Lock, Stock and Barrel Shooting Range or saw anything along Bohannon Road on Friday is asked to call the GBI Tip Line at 1-800-597-TIPS.
TO HONOR THE FAMILY
GoFundMe: An online fundraising page has been created by a family member
The Coweta Community Foundation, Hawk Memorial: Donors can go directly to the Coweta community Foundation website and click ‘donate.’ Click the “donation in Memory or Honor” so the Foundation can track who made a donation and provide details for the family.
The Alexander “Luke” Hawk Memorial Scholarship at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC): Luke was supposed to start school at ABAC in the fall. Memorial contributions can be made at www.abac.edu/lukehawkmemorial or by check made payable to the ABAC Foundation and mailed to: ABAC Foundation (13), 2802 Moore Highway, Tifton, GA 31793.
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