Girl witnesses killing at home, hides and uses FaceTime to get help, GA cops say

A 9-year-old girl who witnessed a woman being killed was able to hide in a closet and get help via the FaceTime app, according investigators in Georgia.

The “murder-suicide” happened just before 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1, at a home in the Flowery Branch community, and the girl was able to stay hidden until deputies arrived, the Hall County Sheriff’s Office said in a Nov. 2 news release.

“When (deputies) arrived at the scene, they found the 50-year-old victim dead at the threshold of the residence. Deputies discovered the body of the 51-year-old gunman in the basement,” the sheriff’s office said.

“Their investigation ... confirmed the child witnessed the shooting and contacted a friend via FaceTime. The friend told her parents about the call. The parents in turn called 911,” officials said.

Identities of the deceased man and woman were not released and investigators did not say what relationship they had to the girl.

The woman, who lived in Gainesville, was shot multiple times, police said. The gunman died of “a single self-inflicted gunshot wound,” officials said.

“Investigators contacted the Department of Family and Children’s Services (DFCS) to assist with placement of the child. Ultimately, she was released into the custody of a relative,” the sheriff’s office said.

Flowery Branch is about a 45-mile drive northeast from Atlanta.