Cobb County residents were left shocked when news emerged that two Sheriff’s deputies were killed in the line of duty near Marietta sometime around 9 pm local time. This was the first time in 18 months that deputies in Cobb County died in the line of duty, also the first time since Sheriff Craig Owens took charge.

According to the Sheriff, the two deputies who lost their lives were serving a warrant in a house but did not get a response. When they were returning to their vehicle, two individuals arrived in a car and shot them. Sheriff Owens did not specify if the deputies returned fire on the alleged shooters, who then took shelter and barricaded themselves in a nearby house.

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The SWAT and FAST teams responded to the shooting immediately and were able to arrest both suspects, who have since then been transported to Cobb County Jail. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has also contacted the Cobb County Sheriff’s office, asking whether he can do anything to help.

Where is Cobb County, Georgia?

Cobb County is a county in Georgia and is part of the Atlanta Metropolitan Area in the north-central part of the state. The population of the county was 760, 141 as of 2019, which made it the state’s third most populous county. Marietta, where the shooting took place on Thursday night, is the largest city in the county.

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Cobb County was established on December 3, 1832, on land acquired from the Cherokee Nation. It was named after Thomas Willis Cobb, who was a US Senator from Georgia. Marietta, where the September 8 shooting took place, is named after Thomas’ wife, Mary.

Cobb County was voted the most educated region in Georgia in 2003 and the 12th highest in the United States. It is also one of the top 100 countries with the highest incomes in the country. It was ranked the ‘Least Obese County in Georgia’ in 2017.