The Cobb County Police Department has arrested a suspect in the double homicide of a Cherokee County firefighter and his wife.
Firefighter Justin Hicks and his wife, Amber, were found dead in their home in Acworth shortly after 9:30 a.m. Nov. 18.
The suspect is 22-year-old Matthew Lanz, who was shot by Sandy Springs police Friday morning after Lanz allegedly stabbed a police officer multiple times during a burglary.
Cobb County police obtained warrants to arrest Lanz. He is charged with two counts of felony murder, two counts of aggravated assault, home invasion, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and is currently at the Fulton County Jail on charges related to the burglary and stabbing in Sandy Springs.
In Sandy Springs, Lanz faces the following charges:
• 1 count of burglary in the 1st degree for the Cameron Ridge Drive incident
• 1 count of burglary in the 1st degree for the Cameron Glen Drive incident
• 1 count of home invasion in the 1st degree
• 10 counts of felony obstruction
• 10 counts of aggravated assault on a police officer
• 10 counts of attempted murder on a police officer
• 1 count of possession of a knife during the commission of a felony
• 1 count of carrying a concealed weapon without a permit
You can read more about the double-homicide in Cobb County here, and more about the Sandy Springs burglary here.
⚠️ Reminder: Crime articles contain only charges and information from police reports and law enforcement statements. Suspects and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Thom Chandler
Thom Chandler is the editor of The Georgia Sun and has been writing, editing and managing websites and blogs since 1995. He is a lifelong Georgian and one of those increasingly rare Atlanta natives.
