KINGSLAND, Ga. -- From her apartment, Shirley Jones could hear a gunshot. But she knew it was serious when she looked out her window.
"I saw a lot of lights out and police cars in front of my apartment," Jones said.
Turns out the man St. Marys police have been looking for since Monday, 67-year-old David Trauger, lived just a few doors over in the Willow Way apartment complex.
Trauger had been the primary suspect in a double homicide arson. On Monday, police responded to a suspicious boat fire near the St. Marys Boat Yard. They found a boat belonging to Karen Barnes, Trauger's ex-wife, ablaze. On board, investigators found the charred remains of two people.
Barnes, 53, and her 72-year-old neighbor and acquaintance, Larry Ford, were nowhere to be found.
Barnes and Trauger were in the middle of a dispute over the boat. Barnes had been awarded the 37-foot Great Harbour as part of the divorce property settlement.
Police had been looking for Trauger ever since. He was also wanted in connection with a burglary and criminal damage incident that occurred in July involving the same boat.
Media alerts said he could be armed and dangerous.
Trauger was spotted Tuesday morning on foot in the area of I-95 and Georgia Exit 1 wearing all black clothing and a black ball cap.
Wednesday evening police received another tip saying he was near his Kingsland apartment.
When officers arrived they tried to take him into custody. But police say he refused to comply.
"He raised a firearm at them and they fired upon him, killing him on the scene," said Lt. Shannon Brock
It's not yet known how many shots were fired. No officers were injured during this exchange. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is handling the investigation of the police involved shooting. The St. Marys Police Department will continue to investigate the double homicide arson.
Police are still waiting for forensic analysis to be completed so they can officially identify the skeletal remains found on the boat.
