A British astrophysicist visiting his girlfriend in Georgia was fatally struck by a stray bullet as he lay in bed in her Atlanta-area apartment, according to authorities.
Matthew Willson, who was from the London suburb of Chertsey, was just days into his trip when he was killed on Sunday by a single gunshot to the head. His girlfriend, Katherine Shepard, told WSB-TV on Thursday that they were startled awake around 2 a.m. by more than two dozen rounds of gunfire, coming from the unit directly behind her own.
One of the bullets pierced the wall, Shepard said, hitting Willson. They’d been dating for more than three years.
“I held him for another 20 minutes while we waited for the ambulance,” she recalled. “And while we were waiting, there were more gunshots fired.”
Authorities were already in vicinity of the apartments in Brookhaven, investigating other reports of gunfire, when they received the emergency call from Shepard, said Sgt. Jake Kissel of the Brookhaven criminal investigations division. Once officers arrived at the scene, they rendered aid until paramedics arrived.
“Dr. Willson was transported to a local trauma center where he succumbed to his injuries,” Kissel said in a statement. The shooting appeared to be a “random act involving individuals participating in the reckless discharge” of firearms.
Shepard and Willson first met while they both studied astronomy at Georgia State University, where he worked as a researcher between 2017 and 2019.
“He was supposed to be here for three months because we’ve been long distance for a while,” Shepard said. “I picked him up from the airport, took him to his favorite eating location, and the next day, he’s gone.”
Willson was also being mourned by his alma mater, the University of Exeter.
“Matthew Willson was a former Ph.D. student at the University of Exeter and much-loved member of our astrophysics team,” a university spokesman said in a statement.
No arrests have been made in the shooting as of Saturday afternoon. Brookhaven police have asked for witnesses or anyone with information about the shooting to contact them or submit an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers at 404-577-TIPS (8477).
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