Crime
Couple Identified in Apparent Murder-Suicide in Lawrenceville as Rachel Free and Embrey Watson
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. — Authorities in Lawrenceville have identified the two individuals who died in what investigators are calling an apparent murder-suicide that occurred Wednesday morning.
According to the Lawrenceville Police Department, officers were dispatched to a residence in the 600 block of Clearwater Place shortly after 9:41 a.m. following a report of a possible shooting.
Upon arrival, officers discovered 39-year-old Rachel Free deceased inside a bedroom.
Investigators determined that 51-year-old Embrey Watson fatally shot Free while she was asleep before turning the gun on himself.
Both individuals were pronounced dead at the scene.
Police say the couple had been involved in a tumultuous relationship spanning roughly two decades.
According to investigators, Free had been planning to end the relationship and move out of the home on the day of the incident, a development that may have preceded the tragic shooting.
The Gwinnett County Medical Examiner’s Office has taken custody of both bodies, and autopsy results are pending to confirm the official cause and manner of death.
Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident but have stated that there is no threat to the public.
Crime
Angela Johnson and Her Son DeAngelo Johnson Killed After Shooting Inside Home in Chicago, Mother’s Boyfriend in Custody
CHICAGO — A 47-year-old mother and her 27-year-old son were fatally shot inside a residence in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood on the West Side late Thursday night, September 24, 2026, according to Chicago police.
The victims were identified as Angela Johnson, 47, and DeAngelo Johnson, 27. Police said a suspect, identified as Angela Johnson’s boyfriend, was taken into custody following the shooting.
The deadly shooting happened in the 800 block of North Parkside Avenue at approximately 10:43 p.m. Witnesses reported hearing gunshots coming from the basement of the residence and called 911.
When Chicago police officers arrived, they found the two victims suffering from gunshot wounds.
Angela Johnson was found in the basement with a gunshot wound to her chest. Police-radio traffic indicated she had been shot on the right side of her chest.
DeAngelo Johnson was found on the first floor with multiple gunshot wounds. Radio traffic indicated that he had suffered two gunshot wounds to his back.
Both victims were initially unresponsive and in critical condition. Emergency personnel performed CPR on DeAngelo Johnson before both victims were transported to Mount Sinai Hospital, where they were pronounced dead.
According to police-radio traffic, one victim was pronounced dead at approximately 11:18 p.m., while the male victim was pronounced dead around 11:21 p.m.
Investigators found extensive evidence inside the residence, including approximately 23 shell casings in a basement bedroom. Additional shell casings were reportedly recovered in other areas of the basement, including the stairway, main room and bedroom.
Officers initially recovered a firearm and shell casings from the basement bedroom. Police later located a second firearm inside the home, bringing the total number of recovered firearms to two.
Authorities have not publicly stated who owned the firearms or confirmed which weapon, if either, was used in the fatal shooting.
Police also reported that DeAngelo Johnson was wearing an empty holster when officers found him on the first floor. That discovery prompted an officer-safety alert as officers searched the residence for the missing firearm.
Chicago police said the shooting appeared to be domestic-related and identified the alleged offender as the mother’s boyfriend.
Radio traffic indicated that a person had been detained by approximately 11:26 p.m. The official police report later confirmed that the known offender was taken into custody.
Two witnesses were reportedly available to identify the alleged offender, and officers conducted a show-up identification procedure near the scene.
Police have not released additional information about potential charges against the suspect.
The investigation into the Chicago Austin neighborhood double shooting remains ongoing. Detectives are continuing to examine the circumstances that led to the shooting, the relationship between the people involved and the role of the two recovered firearms.
The deaths of Angela Johnson and DeAngelo Johnson are being investigated as a double homicide.