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SAVANNAH, Ga. () — Following the Oglethorpe Mall shooting, Chatham County District Attorney Shalena Cook Jones expressed her discontent with elected officials’ recent public statements.
DA Cook Jones stated Saturday in a press release that she “specifically and intentionally” directed the police chief, prosecutors and detectives to withhold suspect and arrestees’ names and photos to avoid compromising the shooting investigation.
“This is now the second time that leaders’ public statements about this case have been premature and problematic,” the release reads. “In instances where miscommunication and ‘bad messaging’ can be avoided, it should be.”
The release also stated that DA Cook Jones did not speak with Mayor Johnson regarding the case, but in an unanswered message, she offered updates.
“When leaders become more concerned with power and politics over people, citizens suffer,” the release continues. “Gunmen and shooters should never be more coordinated than community leaders.”