Matthew Lanz, 22, has been arrested and charged with the murder of a Cobb County firefighter and his wife, as well as the stabbing of a Sandy Springs police officer. Lanz is confirmed to be the younger brother of Austin Lanz, who killed a police officer in a stabbing near the Pentagon in August.
The murders of 31-year-old Timothy Justin Hicks and his wife, 31-year-old Amber Hicks, occurred in their Acworth home on Thursday morning. The couple was found dead from gunshot wounds, and their 2-year-old child was found unharmed at the scene. The child is now in the care of family members.
On Friday, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) revealed that Matthew Lanz had entered a home in Sandy Springs along Cameron Glen Drive. Police had already been in the area following a suspicious person’s call when another 911 call reported a break-in at the residence. Officers arrived and confronted Lanz, who then attacked one of the officers, stabbing him multiple times in the back and neck. In response, officers shot Lanz, hitting him twice.
“We are extremely grateful our police officers were at the right place at the right time to confront this extremely dangerous and armed individual,” Sandy Springs Police Chief Ken DeSimone said in a statement. “The quick response by our officers potentially saved the lives of the homeowners, as we now know this suspect had murdered two homeowners previously in a similar burglary in Cobb County.”
Saturday’s update from authorities confirmed that Lanz is the brother of Austin Lanz, who is accused of fatally stabbing Pentagon Police Officer George Gonzalez on August 3 near the Pentagon. Austin Lanz was shot and killed by responding officers, and the motive for the attack remains unclear.
Earlier this year, it was reported that Austin Lanz had previously broken into the same Acworth home where his brother is now accused of committing the murders. At the time, the couple did not live in the house.
Timothy Hicks, a dedicated firefighter with the Cherokee County Fire Department since 2016, was remembered by his colleagues. A spokesperson for the department described Hicks as a “happy, funny, loved-by-many kind of guy,” adding that he was highly motivated and energetic. Hicks had recently completed his paramedic program training, and his death has left a lasting impact on those who knew him.
Matthew Lanz is currently being held in the Fulton County Jail, facing multiple charges, including two counts of first-degree burglary, first-degree home invasion, aggravated assault on a police officer, and attempted murder of a police officer, along with other charges.
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