A 70‑year‑old Georgia man and his family dog were shot to death by a man‑iac in front of the victim’s wife while the old man was talking to his granddaughter on his phone.
The shooting took place at Simpson Park in Hall County, Georgia, around 3:30 p.m. on Sunday. Terry Loden, a 70‑year‑old Grandfather from Gainesville, was walking his terrier, Jesse, with his wife Cheryle when the dog got into a scuffle with a stranger’s dog. As Terry tried to pull Jesse away from the other dog, shots rang out.
The shooter, identified by the Hall County Sheriff’s Office as 52‑year‑old Todd Alexander Stalcup, fired first at the dog and then at Terry. “[Terry said] ‘Hang on, baby. Jesse, don’t mess with that dog,’ and she heard shots,” Cheryle said to Atlanta News First.
Cheryle immediately called 911 as her granddaughter heard the attack, and she tried to control Terry’s wound. The attacker, who was trying to flee the scene, drove off in his SUV, but police arrested him approximately 15 minutes later while he was attempting to escape the park. Stalcup is now charged with malice murder, felony murder, felony aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime.
Terry Loden died at Northeast Georgia Medical Center. The Loden family described the killing as “senseless and unprovoked.” Cheryle remembered her husband as an “awesome person” who would give his last penny and do anything for anybody, and said, “He was awesome. He’d give his last penny and do anything for anybody. He was an awesome person.”
During his last moments, Terry, in pain, whispered to his wife, “I love you. I’m going.” She heard him plead, “No, you’re not,” as she desperately sought help for her husband.
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