Newton County, GA–
A man is facing murder charges after he shot and killed his ex-wife and her boyfriend during a custody exchange.
The incident occurred on Sunday near a home on Peeble Way in Covington.
Officials say Marquez Smith and his ex-wife got into a confrontation during the exchange of their 15-year-old daughter after the teen decided that she did not want to go with her father.
During the confrontation, Smith was said to have gone back into his home and come out with a gun.
Smith then shot his ex-wife and her boyfriend as they sat in the car.
The victims tried to drive away but crashed about two houses down from the shooting.
The boyfriend was said to have died at the scene while the woman died on the way to the hospital.
The teen was uninjured and her 7-month-old sibling who a relative told reporters was also in the car was uninjured.
“We got three kids, two girls and a boy, 15, 8, and 7 months old that’s now gonna be without either parent and they need love, they need prayers, they just need an army,” said Brittany Payne, the victim’s sister-in-law.
Smith originally fled the scene but turned himself in to police at midnight.
He is charged with two counts of felony murder, two counts of felony aggravated assault, one count of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, two counts of cruelty to children, and one count of violating parole.