Two men arrested in connection to drive-by shooting

Mar. 28—City of Dalton officials indicate that two men alleged to have played a role in a Jan. 28 drive-by shooting in downtown Dalton were arrested on March 26.

Suspect Joshua Lee Edwards, 36, has been charged with two counts of aggravated assault while Gordon Ray Austin, 40, was charged with being party to a crime (aggravated assault) and a probation violation.

Both men are listed as Dalton residents.

"The shooting happened near the intersection of Hamilton Street and Tyler Street," Dalton Communications Director Bruce Frazier stated in a March 27 media release. "Shortly after 4 p.m., two men told police that they were walking together on the sidewalk when a pickup truck passed them and someone inside began firing shots at them."

Per Frazier, one of the men was struck by a ricocheted bullet and sustained "a minor injury." The other individual was not struck and reportedly fled from the area on foot.

"After examining video and photos from cameras near the scene as well as performing numerous interviews, a Dalton Police Department investigator was able to determine that the vehicle was a white Ford F-150 driven by Edwards," the media release reads. "The investigation shows that the F-150 then returned traveling westbound with Gordon Austin driving, Joshua Edwards riding in the passenger side."

Per the release, Edwards allegedly fired "at least five shots" at the victims.

"Investigators believe that the shooting was random and both Edwards and Austin were unknown to the victims," Frazier stated.

According to the release, Austin was already in detention at the Whitfield County Jail on March 26. Edwards was reportedly arrested following a traffic stop on the Highway 41 bypass that same day.