‘Loved with all they had:’ Family, friends mourn loss of Grantville victims

GRANTVILLE, Ga. (CBS46) - The Hawk family released a new statement to the community as the search continues for a suspect in the triple murder at their family shooting range.

The Hawk Family Statement, April 12, 2022:

“Three beloved members of the Hawk family were taken too soon. We are heartbroken and our loss seems insurmountable. Please respect our family’s privacy during this time. With God, we must grieve and heal as a family.

We thank the City of Grantville and Coweta County for such an outpouring of love and support. It is so meaningful that so many in our community cherished them as we did and want to help shine a light in the darkness.

Tommy, Evelyn and Luke will forever be in our hearts.”

Tommy Hawk, his wife Evelyn, and their grandson Luke were all shot and killed at the Lock Stock & Barrel Shooting Range on Bohannon road, around 5:30 Friday night. Investigators said whoever killed the family members, who owned the store, also stole about 40 guns, and took off with the camera DVR.

Authorities raise the reward money in the triple murder of a family at a gun store in Coweta County as the Grantville community continues to mourn.

On Monday, authorities announced that the reward in the case was increased to $25,000 after Gov. Brian Kemp issued an executive order authorizing an additional $10,000.

In the families recent statement they shared the following details on how the community can continue to support the Hawk’s during their time of grieving.

If private citizens want to assist in reward money for law enforcement, donate to:

The Coweta County Sheriffs Reward Fund.  Mail the check to the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office and note as ‘Hawk Family Reward’, 560 Greison Trail, Newnan, GA 30263.

RELATED: Reward raised to $25K in Coweta County triple murder case

Visitation for all three family members will be held Wednesday from 5-7 p.m. at Unity Baptist Church in Newnan. The funeral will be held at the church at 2 p.m. Thursday.

Anyone with information about these crimes should contact ATF at 1-888-ATF-TIPS, email ATFTips@atf.gov or through the agency’s website. Tips can also be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS(8477), online at https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online…, or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app.

Gov. Kemp wrote in a tweet, “Our thoughts and prayers are with their families,” “As the GBI & other agencies are investigating, I have authorized a $10,000 reward for information leading to the identification, arrest, and conviction of the individual(s) responsible for the murders of the Hawk family.”

“They were humbly dependent upon God,” said Ben Sprenger, the pastor to the Hawk Family.

Sprenger said Tommy, Evelyn, and Luke were God-fearing people.

“They lived so everything about their life pointed to Jesus Christ,” he added. “That’s just who they were.”

Evelyn played the piano at their church, Emmanuel Baptist. Luke was due to graduate from East Coweta High in May, bound for Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College on a scholarship, according to Sprenger.

“He was a cool kid,” Sprenger said. “Every Sunday morning before Sunday school, he was the first one into the building to make the coffee.”

Coweta County Schools wrote in an email to CBS46, “the prayers of many in the district are with the Hawk family, and with the law enforcement officers investigating.”

“They were such amazing people who believed in the Lord and loved with all that they had,” Felicia Walker wrote on a GoFundMe page she created for her grandparents and cousin. “Each would give you the shirt off of their back if you needed it. Nothing hurts worse than losing loved ones but losing three at one time is heart-wrenching.”

“They’re working with everything they got to try and find everything we can do,” said Grantville police chief, Steve Whitlock.

As authorities focus on finding the killer, so many who knew the hawks are now leaning on their faith – just as Tommy, Evelyn and Luke often did.

“They just loved life, loved people and you felt it,” Sprenger said.

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