Dad, 85, is accused of shooting dead his son inside a Georgia bait shop in front of horrified fishermen

Police in Georgia have not released a motive for the shooting

Alex Lang
Sunday 14 July 2024 21:13 BST
Wayne Eaton, 85, (right) is accused of shooting dead his son Troy Eaton, 60, (left) inside a Georgia bait shop
Wayne Eaton, 85, (right) is accused of shooting dead his son Troy Eaton, 60, (left) inside a Georgia bait shop (Covington police/Newton County Sheriff's Office)

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A father in Georgia is under arrest after shooting his son dead inside a bait shop, police said.

Wayne Eaton, 85, faces charges of malice murder and the possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime for the shooting of his son Troy Eaton, 60.

The shooting happened during a weekly fishing tournament in Covington, Georgia, according to Fox 5.

Police responded to a property around 7 p.m. Friday after receiving a report of a person shot. When they arrived, they found Tory Eaton dead inside a bait shop.

Wayne Eaton, 85, faces a murder charge after police say he shot his son dead
Wayne Eaton, 85, faces a murder charge after police say he shot his son dead (Newton County Sheriff's Office)

The shooting happened at a property known as the Lakeview Drive Tournament Lakes, which includes two large ponds, according to WSB-TV. People pay a fee to participate in fishing competitions at the ponds.

Family members said a dozen fishermen were inside the bait shop when Wayne came out of his home, walked to the shop and shot his son inside.

“This has affected more than just us. This has affected everyone around here,” Troy’s grandson, Ethan Sanders, told WSB-TV.

Police have not released a motive for the shooting.

Troy Eaton, 60, was set to get married next month, his family said
Troy Eaton, 60, was set to get married next month, his family said (Covington police)

Family members, including the victim’s daughter Heather, told Fox 5 they were having a hard time processing what happened. But she said her dad loved to fish and participate in the tournaments.

"He had been doing that since before I was born, being able to hunt and fish whenever he wanted to," Heather recalled. "That was the main thing he did, he enjoyed doing [it] on the weekends."

Troy was also set to get married next month, Heather said.

"He would do anything for anybody. He wasn’t a rich man, but if anyone needed anything from him, he would do what he could to help them out," she said.

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