Atlanta Police Department's 'Investigator of the Year' fatally shot after allegedly breaking into home

Caroline Silva and Jozsef Papp, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Oct 4, 2024

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ATLANTA — An off-duty Atlanta police investigator was fatally shot Friday morning after breaking into a Douglas County home, officials confirmed.

The Douglas sheriff’s office said it was around 5 a.m. when deputies responded to a home in the 8000 block of Orkney Way near the St. Andrews Golf Club about reports of an attempted burglary. The preliminary investigation revealed that a man, who appeared to be experiencing a “mental health episode or under the influence of narcotics,” attempted to break into the front door of the home.

“This individual was able to make his way into the residence and was confronted by the homeowner,” the sheriff’s office said. “The homeowner, acting in self-defense, shot this person inside his residence. The shot was fatal and the individual died at the scene.”

Atlanta police confirmed the investigator involved was Aubree Horton, 32. He had been with the department for almost 10 years and was awarded the “Investigator of the Year” award last week at the Atlanta Police Foundation’s annual Crime is Toast ceremony. Horton, who was most recently assigned to the department’s fugitive unit, had no law enforcement experience before joining APD in November 2015.

Officials later learned Horton lived at a home on Rannoch Moor Drive, which is walking distance from where the shooting took place. The sheriff’s office did not say why Horton broke into the nearby home.

“We are working closely with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office to learn more about what occurred as they investigate the incident,” Atlanta police told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in an email.

At the Sept. 24 awards ceremony, Horton was recognized for his work in connection with last year’s disappearance and death of a Gwinnett County man.

“I felt that family deserved justice,” Horton said in a video presentation during the award ceremony.

He said the suspects were difficult to apprehend and find because they seemed to know how investigators and police operated. They were finally able to get a break in the case and have arrested three people in connection with Leondre Flynt’s death and disappearance.

“That’s what I like to do in police work now is bring closure to people like Leondre’s family so those people have their day in court and face justice,” Horton said.

Horton described himself as a hard worker who would often spend far too many hours on the job, but said he was getting better at that.

“You got to continue to pound sand, turn things over and you’re looking for that one break, that’s all you’re looking for, is that one break and then you got to jump on it,” Horton said about his investigations.

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