FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE…

Thursday, July 15, 2021

Report of Woman Brandishing a Pistol, Pursuit, Ends in Death by Self Inflicted Gunshot

Sheriff Mitch Ralston Reports:

At about 12:15 pm yesterday (Wednesday, July 14), Gordon County E 911 broadcast a report of a woman brandishing a pistol and pointing it at her (own) head in the parking lot of a local business near Fairmount. A Fairmount Police officer observed the vehicle described in the ‘look out’ and attempted to stop the car.  A short pursuit which led north of Fairmount ensued. The driver of the car, a blue Chevrolet Camaro, suddenly stopped in the roadway on Pinhook Road. As the policeman was ordering the driver to exit the car, the driver shot and killed herself. A small child was in the car at the time, but was uninjured. Deputy sheriffs and detectives responded to the scene and initiated an investigation. The child was turned over to the local Department of Family & Childrens Services (DFCS). The weapon used in the shooting was recovered by detectives. The police officer did not fire any shots, and no one else was injured. The decedent has been identified as Ashley L. Kellum, age 31, of 1404 US Highway 41 North, Calhoun. The investigation by the Sheriff’s Office and the Coroner’s Office is continuing.