Man Convicted of Cherokee Drive-By Shootings Gets 20 Years Prison

A Cartersville man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after admitting to two drive-by shootings in 2022 in Cherokee County.

Timothy Joseph Gregory, 31, of Cartersville, entered a negotiated guilty plea May 1 to multiple charges related to two separate drive-by shootings in Canton, the Cherokee County District Attorney’s Office announced.

One of the shootings took place on May 10, 2022, in a subdivision near Canton, and the other shooting was May 12, 2022, at the Department of Community Supervision in Canton.

The defendant’s charges include two counts of aggravated assault, criminal damage to property in the first degree, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, interference with government property, criminal damage to property in the second degree and three counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

According to the district attorney’s office:

Just after 2 p.m. on May 10, 2022, Cherokee Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 call reporting a drive-by shooting directed at a home in the Carmichael Farms community. When deputies arrived, they found five bullet strikes to the front of the house and six bullet casings in the roadway and sidewalk. One bullet went through the garage window, traveling through the far wall of the garage, above a laundry room ceiling, and into a walk-in closet. No one was injured.

Multiple residents witnessed the shooting, and home security cameras captured video of a blue Mazda traveling into the neighborhood and exiting at a high rate of speed moments later. The license plate of the car was covered with duct tape, partially concealing the license plate number.

Two days after the first shooting, Canton Police responded to a 911 call reporting that shots were fired at the Department of Community Supervision in Canton. Surveillance video showed a passenger vehicle pulling into the parking lot and firing at least two rounds at an SUV before leaving the scene.

Law enforcement used witness accounts, surveillance videos, Flock cameras, and other resources to identify Gregory as the suspect in both drive-by shootings.

After arresting Gregory, CSO conducted a search warrant of his home. Inside, deputies found an AR-15 pistol, a 0.45 caliber Ruger semi-automatic pistol, multiple magazines and ammunition and several flare guns.

“Although the targets the defendant selected appeared to be random, the fact that he covered his license plate with duct tape suggests that his actions were premeditated and that he was trying to avoid detection,” said Assistant District Attorney Kelly Chavis, who prosecuted the case. “Fortunately, many of our residents have home surveillance cameras, which greatly assisted the investigation.”

During the May 1 plea hearing, Gregory admitted to all charges and was sentenced to 40 years, with the first 20 years to serve in confinement. He was also banned from Cherokee County and ordered to pay restitution.

“It is unsettling that this defendant drove through Cherokee County armed with a loaded gun and an intent to commit acts of violence against our citizens,” Cherokee County District Attorney Susan Treadaway said. “We are thankful for the thorough investigation by local law enforcement, who ensured that this defendant was quickly apprehended, and our community was protected from this dangerous man.”

CSO investigated the case with assistance from the Canton Police Department.