Georgia coroner discovers the bodies of his parents and son, 19

April 10, 2022

Nightmare scenario for Georgia coroner as he discovers bodies of his gun store owner parents and his 19-year-old son after 40-gun robbery

Coweta County Coroner Richard Hawk, 51, made the gruesome discovery at his parents’ shooting range, Lock Stock & Barrel, in Grantville
When he arrived at the shop around 8 p.m. on Friday, Hawk found the lifeless bodies of Thomas and Evelyn Hawk, both aged 75, and his 19-year-old son, Luke
According to authorities, the Hawks were killed by an armed robber, who fled the scene making off with dozens of guns from the store
‘Tommy, Evelyn and Luke knew the Lord as their personal savior,’ the distraught coroner said. ‘They died knowing the lord and they’re in heaven’

A Georgia coroner discovered the bodies of his parents and 19-year-old son at the scene of a gun store robbery-gone-wrong.

Coweta County Coroner Richard Hawk, 51, made the gruesome discovery at his parents’ shooting range, Lock Stock & Barrel, in Grantville, 50 miles southwest of Atlanta.

When he arrived at the shop around 8 p.m. on Friday, Hawk found the lifeless bodies of Thomas and Evelyn Hawk, both aged 75, and 19-year-old, Luke, who was visiting his grandparents for Spring Break and helping in the shop.

According to authorities, the Hawks were killed by an armed robber who fled the scene making off with dozens of guns from the store.

Hawk, who has been Coweta County’s coroner since 2008, told The Guardian he was heartbroken after the huge loss.

‘Tommy, Evelyn and Luke knew the Lord as their personal savior,’ the distraught coroner told the outlet. ‘They died knowing the lord and they’re in heaven.’

Police Chief Steve Whitlock said the Hawk family was well-known and well-respected in their small, tight-knit community. They had operated Lock Stock & Barrel for nearly 30 years. A sign out front proudly proclaims it ‘American owned & operated.’

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the City of Grantville and NSSF are each offering a $5,000 reward, totaling to $15,000, for information that leads to an arrest in the killings.

‘The brutality of these senseless murders along with the fact that these killer(s) have acquired additional firearms make solving this case our top priority,’ ATF Atlanta Field Division Special Agent Benjamin Gibbons wrote in the statement.

Authorities are asking anyone who drove by the between 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on the day of the killings and saw vehicles other than the Hawks’ white Ford dual-rear-wheel truck and a black Ford Expedition to contact them.

Coweta County Coroner Richard Hawk, 51, found the lifeless bodies of Thomas and Evelyn Hawk, both aged 75, and his 19-year-old son, Luke, at his parents’ shooting range in Grantville, Georgia

Thomas Hawk, 75, was found dead with his wife and their 19-year-old grandson. Hawk had owned the shop for 30 years

Law enforcement agents investigate the scene of a fatal robbery at Lock Stock & Barrel Shooting Range late Friday, April 8

‘This is just a shock to everybody in the community,’ Chief Whitlock said. ‘We’re trying to do the best that we can to figure this out.’

Whitlock said investigators believe the robbery and shooting happened around 5.30pm Friday, which is when the range normally closes.

He said Richard Hawk came by the business and was the person who found the victims.

There are no suspects as of Sunday evening, and no arrests have been made. Investigators said that as many as 40 guns and the range’s surveillance camera were also stolen.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is investigating, but when contacted referred all inquiries to Grantville Police. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was also called in due to the amount of weapons taken. Whitlock said he’s grateful for the help from other law enforcement agencies in the investigation.

At least 40 guns were stolen from the Lock Stock & Barrel Shooting range in Grantville, as well as the surveillance camera

‘We’re just a small town, 12 officers. I’ve been here eight years and have never had to investigate anything like this. It’s been kind of hard on us. The crime rate is really, really low,’ he said.

A reward of $15,000 has been posted for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the killer or killers in the case, according to the ATF Atlanta office’s Twitter feed.

Police are asking any witnesses to come forward. Whitlock said they don’t have any video evidence to work with right now.

The Hawks had operated Lock Stock & Barrel for nearly 30 years. Their grandson was on Spring Break, helping his grandparents at the shop

Police are asking any witnesses to come forward. Authorities said they don’t have any video evidence to work with right now

‘Anyone having driven by the shooting range during the time frame of 530pm to 630 pm that may have seen vehicles other than a white Ford dually truck and a black Ford expedition are asked to contact the police department,’ Grantville police said in their Facebook statement.

The shooting range is in rural Coweta County, about 50 miles southwest of Atlanta.

Coweta County Sheriff Lenn Wood said in a statement on Facebook that the entire community was forever broken by the ‘senseless and tragic’ killings of the Hawk family members.

‘I am also fervently praying that God will use our law enforcement community and the Coweta Community,’ he said, ‘to bring justice swiftly.’

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