Gainesville woman shoots man in bedroom, charged with murder, sheriff says

A 61-year-old woman from Gainesville, Suzanne Renee Mericle, has been charged with the murder of her 68-year-old partner, James David Barron, according to officials from the Hall County Sheriff's Office. The incident took place at their residence on Bayridge Drive, where authorities responded to reports of a shooting early Saturday morning.

Upon arrival at approximately 1:15 a.m., deputies discovered Barron in a bedroom, suffering from a gunshot wound to the torso. Despite being rushed to Northeast Georgia Medical Center, he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.

Mericle was still at the scene when law enforcement arrived and was taken into custody. Officials indicated that she and Barron were in a relationship and had been living together at the time of the shooting. She has been accused of using a handgun in the alleged act of violence.

She now faces multiple felony charges, including murder, aggravated assault under the Family Violence Act, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime. Mericle is currently being held without bond at the Hall County Jail.

Details surrounding the events leading up to the shooting remain unclear, as the Hall County Sheriff's Office has not released information regarding the circumstances that led to the tragic incident.