A delayed federal income tax refund is apparently the cause of a murder in Gwinnett County, Georgia near metro Atlanta. Police responded to a call of a person being shot last week and arrived at the scene and found Kysha Johnson, 26, critically injured. In the home at the time were Johnson’s mother, two teenage boys and two young children who were unharmed. When questioned by police, the occupants explained that Byron Winborne, 43, had an argument with Johnson blaming her for a delay in receiving their tax refund. During the argument, Winborne pulled out a gun and shot Johnson. The family reacted in fear and horror as Winborne, realizing that he may have killed his stepdaughter, ran from the apartment.
Police searched the area for an hour looking for Winborne, who was found hiding in a nearby subdivision. He was arrested and booked into the Gwinnett County Detention Center on charges of murder and aggravated assault and is being held without bond.
Johnson was transported to a local hospital where she died from her gunshot wound. Winborne appeared in court on Tuesday and was formally charged for his crime. It was during the court hearing that police maintained that the shooting did in fact occur because of Winborne’s anger over the delayed tax refund.
Cpl. Deon Washington, a spokesman for Gwinnett police, stated, “This is a tragic situation that has ruined a family. Our objective at this point is to conduct a thorough investigation and paint a clear picture for what led to this homicide.”
A neighbor identified as William Wrancher stated, “I don’t know if I’m supposed to even say this but he’s a Marine. So I knew, I was like … I see him everyday. He would say, ‘What up, Army?’ I said, ‘What up, Marine?” He further stated that he does not know why his neighbor “snapped.”
