Cobb Police on Monday identified the suspect as William F. Peake, 29, and the victim of the homicide as Lorrie Peake, 71, his mother. Sgt. Eric Smith said that they were both residents of the home and that the next of kin have been identified.
Cobb Police said Sunday that a suspect holed up inside a home in Northeast Cobb is dead, as well as another person inside the residence, following a day-long standoff that included an officer-involved shooting.
Officer Aaron Wilson said in a release that two unidentified individuals were found dead inside a residence on Vandiver Drive, off Sandy Plains Road and near Ebenezer Road, on Sunday afternoon.
They believe the suspect, who earlier was shot at by officers after opening fire on them, took his own life. Police did not say how the other person died.
Wilson said that police were called to the home, located on Vandiver Drive near Rainwater Drive, around 8:30 a.m. Sunday on a welfare check, after family members said they were concerned about someone there they had not heard from.
Officers first called to the scene tried to make contact with a male they spotted inside the home but were unsuccessful, according to Wilson, who said that after continuing those efforts, police were able to secure a search warrant.
Police said that shortly after 11 a.m. a gunshot was heard inside the home, but officers did not respond.
Wilson said the Cobb Police SWAT team was called and employed a drone to locate those inside the home. A male was seen on the drone camera with a gun, and officers tried again to contact him, according to police.
The man did not respond, according do Wilson, who said the Cobb Police crisis negotiations team was called to the scene, but to no avail.
At one point, the suspect fired at officers and they returned fire, according to Wilson.
“The suspect appeared to be wounded, and communication continued until the suspect took their own life,” Wilson said.
He said that when officers got inside the home, they saw two people who were deceased.
Wilson said that Cobb Police Major Crimes Unit is conducting a death investigation and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation will investigate the officer-involved shooting.
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The rain stopped early Saturday morning and the sun came out for the 20th Taste of East Cobb.
The weather couldn’t have been more ideal, as attendees enjoyed tasty bites provided by local restaurants, listened to music from local school jazz bands and took in a picture-perfect spring weekend day at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church.
The festival is a fundraiser for the Walton Band Parent Association, which sold tickets for food and other activites, including a kids’ zone, face painting and more.
Local businesses displayed their wares and special offers, and there also was a silent auction.
After the event was over, organizers announced the following winners, as voted on by the public on hand:
East Cobb News was proud to be a sponsor of the Taste of East Cobb for the fourth year in a row!
Click the middle button below to see more photos, and check out the videos after that.
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When a Dickerson Middle School student and lacrosse and football player was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer, the members of the Walton High School boys lacrosse team became his biggest fans.
Jackson Jefcoat, a sixth-grader, learned a few months ago that he suffers from T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma, and he soon began undergoing a lengthy treatment plan.
He’s already endured fatigue, hair loss and other effects of chemotherapy, and according to the Cobb County School District, his family says he’s cancer free and his prognosis is good, all things considered.
But Jackson is continuing treatment, and while he does, the lacrosse team and the Walton community are providing their support.
“This program is built on family,” Walton head coach Griffin Spotz said in a release issued by the district. “We want Jackson to know he’s seen, supported, and still a vital part of our team.”
He’s been visited by the football and lacrosse teams during his hospital stays, and players have invited him to watch games when he can along the sidelines.
On Friday, the Raiders’ lacrosse team advanced to the Georgia High School Association quarterfinals, so Jackson will have at least another game to cheer them on.
More from the district release, along with their photos:
That support has taken many forms. Coaches and players from both the lacrosse and football programs have visited Jackson in the hospital, brought team gear, and included him in special team moments. Jackson was named an honorary captain for a senior select game and received a commemorative chrome helmet typically reserved for special occasions.
The lacrosse team also created custom helmet decals featuring a green lymphoma awareness ribbon and Jackson’s initials, symbolizing solidarity, and ongoing support.
The Walton community remains committed to supporting Jackson throughout his treatment and eventual return to athletics. The Jefcoat family expressed deep gratitude for the overwhelming support.
Jackson, in turn, shared a message of thanks and encouragement for the team: “Thank you all so much. Keep going in the playoffs. Never give up. I’ll get better.”
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As a former Cobb County School District teacher, Nichelle Davis sought in her initial run for public office in 2022 to be an advocate for the needs of students in the classroom.
As she seeks re-election to Post 6 on the Cobb Board of Education, Davis said some good progress has been made in improving student outcomes and other academic initiatives.
But after running unopposed four years ago, Davis is facing a firebrand Democratic primary opponent who accuses the incumbent of settling for the status quo.
Davis, a native of Florida who taught at Lindley Middle School, is vying for a second term on May 19 against Jennifer Susko, a former Cobb school counselor who regularly blisters the district and school board (our Susko profile can be found here).
Davis recently voted to extend the contract of Superintendent Chris Ragsdale, and for Susko, that was more than enough to challenge her.
As one of three Democrats on the seven-member board, Davis told East Cobb News that “I am not a polarizing candidate. That’s not who I am.”
She says that “I represent a unique voice” and her mission is a simple one: “To get the job done” to help students achieve academic success.
Here’s Davis’ campaign website; she is senior manager at Achieve Atlanta, a non-profit which helps students prepare for postsecondary education.
Early voting in the primaries began Monday and continues through May 15; consult our early voting guide for more information.
The winner of the Post 6 primary will be elected to serve a four-year term on the school board, since no Republican qualified.
Post 6 (see map) includes the Campbell and some of the Wheeler high school attendance zones
It formerly included Walton zone but has been redrawn to boundaries that have made it a predominantly Democratic post.
Susko has received the endorsement of Davis’ predecessor, Charisse Davis (no relation), who was at the center of several school board controversies during her one term.
But Nichelle Davis said that as the only black female member of the board, she understands the importance of treating students fairly.
Susko thinks that minority students in particular are at a greater disadvantage than they should be, and supports restoring banned Critical Race Theory and the 1619 Project program.
Nichelle Davis said that she was “surprised” when Susko announced her candidacy but that “advocacy for everyone looks a little different.
“I lead with joy.”
In explaining her vote to extend Ragsdale’s contract, Davis said that she went on the “facts and data presented to me” about his job performance. She wouldn’t get into details, since those were discussed in executive session, but she said that she made her decision based on “what he has done, based on how we measure success.
“I think we have a lot of good things going on [in the Cobb school district] and I recognize that there is a lot of room for improvement. . . . I made the best decision in that moment.”
She said her approach to serving also reflects the reality of being a Democrat on a Republican-majority board.
“We may not agree on everything,” Davis said, “but we have to move from a space of being confrontational to having courageous conversations. Positive things have been happening” in the district and on the board in moving forward on some of those priorities.
“I’m proud of our enrichment and career-ready programs, charter schools, SPLOST projects and Georgia’s BEST,” she said.
“We agree more than we disagree,” Nichelle Davis said of the Cobb school board.
Davis said her objectives are focused on “doing what’s best for kids,” including more curriculum and student support, and in particular improvements in literacy programs.
She also favors more mental health support and resources for students, improving communications between students and their families and the district and the district being more transparent with the public in general.
Davis was critical of the board’s policy last year to ban airing of public comments at board meetings, which she says has hurt dialogue and citizen engagement she thinks is necessary.
She also thinks high school students should be able to speak at board meetings without a parent present (Davis occasionally holds a “Youth Roundtable” with high school students to discuss a variety of issues in the schools.)
“How do we find the right balance between our resources and our needs?” as a district, Davis asked, if the larger public doesn’t know what community members are expressing.
She admits that some of the things she advocates for at times up short on board votes when there’s a distinct partisan difference.
“That is a challenge,” Davis said. “It’s hard to gauge the progress when it moves by inches. There are many things we agree on. But we agree more than we disagree.”
While to some members of the public “it looks the same, there’s ongoing work” that suggests otherwise. “When put to a vote, it still takes a board majority.”
School safety concerns have loomed larger during Davis’ term in office.
That includes a rapid and sometimes secretive expansion of safety programs within the Cobb school district. Last year the district announced it was accepting a state school security grant to hire a cyberintelligence company, Servius, to conduct risk assessments at schools and identify students who may pose threats.
The district also has approved funding for dogs trained with “vapor wake” technology to detect weapons in high schools.
The board has been briefed in executive session about some of these programs, but Davis said that “we need more updates in helping to identify threats quicker.”
But she said that an important measure for the public is to improve gun safety advocacy in the community.
Davis said that regardless of how the partisan dynamics may be on the board—and it could become non-partisan in 2028—this current board is making significant strides.
After some fractious debates prior to her arrival in 2023, Davis said, “we’re starting to find some middle ground. It’s about moving forward with solutions that work” in what would be her second term.
“I love to reframe my thoughts about what a win looks like,” she said. “People know where I’m coming from.”
Davis said the question she constantly asks herself, regardless of the issue before her, is “what is best for students?”
That’s because “I’m a solutions-oriented person . . . it’s the educator in me. That’s why I want to continue serving.”
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Since she began speaking out against Cobb County School District leadership a few years ago, Jennifer Susko has hardly stepped out of the spotlight with her blistering criticisms of the powers-that-be.
And now the former Cobb school counselor is vying for a spot on the Cobb Board of Education that she routinely criticizes—and not just the Republican majority.
Susko is a Democratic challenger to Post 6 first-term board member Nichelle Davis in the May 19 primaries precisely because the incumbent recently supported extending the contract of Superintendent Chris Ragsdale.
Susko, who noisily resigned as a counselor at Mableton Elementary School in 2021 so she could speak out on a range of issues—and after the school board banned the teaching of Critical Race Theory and the 1619 Project—says Davis’ vote was the final straw for her.
“I am running because I believe voters deserve representation that is willing to question leadership when necessary,” Susko told East Cobb News, “insist on answers and not offer automatic support in the face of ongoing concerns about student outcomes, equity, and district direction.”
Here’s Susko’s campaign website; she is currently a counselor with the Georgia Cyber Academy, an online charter school.
Early voting in the primaries began Monday and continues through May 15; consult our early voting guide for more information.
The winner of the Post 6 primary will be elected to serve a four-year term on the school board, since no Republican qualified.
Post 6 (see map) includes the Campbell and some of the Wheeler high school attendance zone.
It formerly included Walton and Wheeler areas but has been redrawn to boundaries that have made it a predominantly Democratic post.
Susko has received the endorsement of Nichelle Davis’ predecessor, Charisse Davis (no relation), who was at the center of several school board controversies during her one term.
Davis was outspoken on diversity and equity issues, but Susko began to speak out at board meetings prior to that in 2016-17, sparked by what she said was a racist message sent out via social media by a North Cobb High School student.
As a regular during public comment periods, Susko has been especially critical of how the Cobb school district treats minority students. Like Charisse Davis and former board member and now State Sen. Jaha Howard, Susko thinks the district is too harsh with disciplinary measures for minority students in particular.
“For many families, especially Black students and parents, there are long-standing, well-documented concerns about racism in Cobb schools that have not been meaningfully addressed,” Susko said.
“In some cases, efforts intended to respond to those concerns have been reduced or rolled back. A ‘yes’ vote on the superintendent’s contract communicates approval of that trajectory.
“The sky may not be falling to you, but for Black parents and students experiencing racism in schools, it is,” she said. “Ignoring that does not make it disappear. There is documented evidence in district data along with years of students and families describing what they are facing in classrooms and hallways every day.”
Susko cited a policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics that “although progress has been made toward racial equality and equity, the evidence to support the continued negative impact of racism on health and well-being through implicit and explicit biases, institutional structures, and interpersonal relationships is clear.
“Failure to address racism will continue to undermine health equity for all children, adolescents, emerging adults, and their families.”
She said during her time in the Cobb school district, black students told her about being called racial epithets, “hearing adults laugh about the KKK, and constantly facing assumptions that they are not academically capable.”
Sukso said a teacher told her once not to worry about teaching career lessons to a second-grader “because at least he looks great in orange,” a suggestion that “a 7-year-0ld by would end up in prison. These are repeated, compounding harms.”
If those are the incidents that sparked Susko’s activism, they have expanded to include her general priorities if she were elected: accountable leadership and effective oversight, responsive governance and student-centered policies.
“The clearest difference between me and my opponent is how we understand accountability and what we are willing to support in public,” Susko said.
Susko has been a frequent critic of the Cobb school district at board meetings and in the community.
“A vote to renew Superintendent Ragsdale’s contract is one of the strongest signals of confidence in district leadership. My opponent supported that contract; I did not.”
Susko also has been critical of the Cobb school district investing in school safety measures without board action, including a contract with a private cyberintelligence company about which little has been said publicly.
The district has said that Servius is conducting threat assessments at individual schools and developing processes to help schools identify patterns in student behavior that could become safety concerns.
“There have still been incidents where weapons entered school buildings, leaving families questioning whether those systems are effective and whether leadership has been fully held accountable,” Susko said.
She also said the board fails at governance by preventing the airing of public comments, and prohibiting board members from making them.
She supports allowing students to speak during public comment without having a parent present, a change from the current district policy.
“I think a parent permission form is fine, but removing the barrier of parent presence would ensure student voices are heard and allow them to actively practice the civic engagement skills they learn in social studies classrooms,” she said.
Susko said that if she were elected, “maybe” she could support retaining Ragsdale if he “can listen, demonstrate accountability, and make changes when they are necessary for student success without becoming defensive or responding with long public remarks that feel dismissive of students and families . . However, there is very little evidence of that kind of responsiveness, which makes continued support unlikely.”
When asked if she could make the transition from political bomb-thrower to board member and work with colleagues she may disagree with, Susko told East Cobb News that “a working relationship does not mean agreement, and it does not mean I would ever stay silent in the face of issues harming students. If there are ongoing concerns, I will address them directly and consistently with any board member.
“Some people like to reduce my work to the idea that all I do is get kicked out of boardrooms by police, but that is in my role as a community organizer and through participation in direct action activism. I understand how to navigate both contexts appropriately, but I do not confuse being direct with being unprofessional.”
Susko also has received the endorsement of the political arm of the Southern Poverty Law Center, which recently was indicted by the federal government. Susko has said that she did not seek that endorsement.
While she said she understands how her views—and style—are seen as controversial, she won’t back down from confrontation if she thinks conversations about school issues are not improving education outcomes, especially for what she describes as disadvantaged students.
“But when you are talking about life-and-death issues and nothing changes, or the response is inadequate or even harmful, you realize that tone alone does not drive outcomes,” Susko said.
“At that point, you must shift from simply speaking to insisting on change. My approach is to name problems clearly and put them on the public record so they cannot be deferred through process or silence.
“I do not adjust my advocacy based on comfort in the room, because the stakes are too high for students and families to be sidelined.”
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Cobb PARKS officials met this week with board members of the Sandy Plains Softball Association concerned about the proposed redevelopment of Shaw Park and presented a new relocation proposal.
The Save Shaw Park Softball Facebook group posted an aerial shot of what was discussed (above), noting that all five existing softball fields will be retained.
Softball parents publicly expressed opposition to a proposal that called for nearly doubling the pickleball courts at Shaw Park from nine to 19, saying softball fields would be reduced.
County officials and Cobb Commissioner JoAnn Birrell said that wasn’t the case, but they put the project on hold in March to hold further discussions.
“Field 1 will be relocated behind Field 3 and will feature a 125-foot layout with a full turf surface,” parent Ryan Hicks reported to the Save Shaw Park group on Wednesday.
“In addition, Field 5 will be upgraded with a turf infield.”
Birrell was in attendance at the meeting this week and told East Cobb News Thursday that the new proposal is just that—a draft—and that “there are other things to finalize before we can get the final site plan bridging documents and go out to bid.”
She said that there are no changes proposed for the pickleball courts beyond the initial expansion plans.
“We are pleased and excited that any and all issues were resolved and look forward to this project being completed,” said Birrell, who has come under political fire from softball parents.
She’s a four-term incumbent from District 3 in East Cobb and is facing first-time candidate Chris Wasserman in the May 19 Republican primary.
He’s been campaigning on the Shaw Park issue, but Birrell has maintained that softball fields were never going to be reduced in the redevelopment proposal.
On Wednesday, Hicks thanked other softball parents for contacting county officials and expressing their concerns.
“Your voices have been heard . . . Thank you again to everyone involved for contributing to a solution that supports the needs of the entire community.”
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After getting a 79 score in a health inspection in April, Marlow’s Tavern Sandy Plains was re-inspected this week, and got a score of 97.
Cobb and Douglas Health reinspects restaurants that score 80 or below.
On April 13, the agency found that Marlow’s (2960 Shallowford Road) had improper food storage issues, including some that were repeat violations, among them uncovered food items.
There also were soap/sanitary issues at sinks. One of the soap dispensers in the women’s restroom was not working, and the manager went to a nearby store to buy batteries for it to become operable.
A food prep gasket also wasn’t working and was unable to remain below the 49-degree maximum, and three containers with Creme Brulé’ prepared the day before were stored above 41 degrees (inspection report here).
When inspectors returned on Thursday, they found only one violation, improper cooling methods for food in a walk-in cooler, a three-point deduction (inspection report here).
Among the other remarks on the report are that Marlows “will need to find a way to prevent flies from entering the facility.”
The 97 score is the highest for that Marlow’s location since a 90 score in August of 2023.
The following food scores have been compiled by the Georgia Department of Public Health. Click the link under each listing for inspection details:
Beyond Juicery and Eatery (pre-opening inspection)
4101 Roswell Road, Suite 901
April 27, 2026, Score: 100, Grade: A
(See related ECN story)
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