A Chickamauga man will spend the next decade behind bars after firing a handgun into a neighbor’s home during a Memorial Day celebration gone wrong.
What We Know: Christopher Blake Stansell received a 30-year sentence with 10 years to serve in prison after pleading guilty to multiple felonies including aggravated assault, home invasion, burglary, and cruelty to children.
The violence erupted on Memorial Day 2023 when both the Stansell and Selimagic families were hosting separate gatherings. After a verbal argument between Stansell and guests of the Selimagics escalated into a physical fight, Stansell retrieved a 9mm handgun from his home and began firing into the Selimagic residence while threatening to kill the entire family.
Stansell kicked in the garage door and attempted to break through an interior door before running out of ammunition. Officer Charles Dunn responded to the scene and used a Taser to subdue Stansell after he refused to drop his weapon.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
