Authorities say Kean Wiggins was wounded after exchanging gunfire with law enforcement during a search that lasted several hours.
BUFORD, Ga. — A man wanted in connection with a New York murder investigation was wounded and taken into custody Thursday after an hours-long manhunt in Gwinnett County that involved local officers, sheriff’s deputies and the U.S. Marshals Service, authorities said.
Kean Wiggins, 35, was arrested after officers located him near Freeman’s Mill Elementary School around 11:30 a.m., according to authorities. The search had begun hours earlier at a home in the 1900 block of Binnies Way, near Braselton Highway. Police said Wiggins fired at law enforcement during the initial encounter and fled into a wooded area, setting off a large search that affected nearby roads, neighborhoods and schools.
Gwinnett County police said officers were assisting the U.S. Marshals Service and the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office at the Binnies Way residence. Wiggins was wanted in connection with a murder investigation in Troy, New York. Authorities there have accused him of second-degree murder and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon in the May 6 shooting death of Shardonay Tyce.
The Gwinnett County Police Department said the initial law enforcement activity began around 6:15 a.m. During that encounter, police said Wiggins fired at least one shot at officers before getting away. Authorities then searched the surrounding area for several hours. Residents encountered a heavy law enforcement presence that included officers, deputies, a police dog and drones.
Authorities located Wiggins later in the morning near Freeman’s Mill Elementary School. The Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office said Wiggins fired again and law enforcement returned fire. Wiggins was struck by gunfire and taken into custody. Officers provided medical aid before he was transported to a hospital for treatment. Authorities did not immediately release further details about the extent of his injuries.
No police officers, sheriff’s deputies, federal agents or residents were reported injured during the encounters. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is investigating the circumstances surrounding the officer-involved shooting near the elementary school, while Gwinnett County police are investigating the gunfire reported during the earlier encounter near Binnies Way.
The manhunt caused significant disruption in the surrounding area. Police closed Braselton Highway between Lena Carter Road and Old Peachtree Road while officers searched for Wiggins. Three nearby Gwinnett County schools also took security precautions because of the law enforcement activity. School officials said the incident was not connected to the schools.
An adult woman found at the Binnies Way residence was also taken into custody. Gwinnett County police said she was charged with harboring a fugitive. Authorities did not immediately release her name or provide additional details about the allegation.
Police said Wiggins and the woman remained in custody and there was no known continuing threat to the public from the incident. Troy police said the Rensselaer County District Attorney’s Office in New York will oversee extradition proceedings when Wiggins is able to be returned. The Gwinnett investigation and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation review remain active.
Author note: Last updated Sept. 25, 2026.