July 4, 2021
A man shot and killed near the 18th hole on a Georgia golf course Saturday has been identified as a local golf pro.
Gene Siller was working at the Pinetree Country Club, near Kennesaw, just before 2:30 p.m. Saturday when a suspect shot him, according to police.
“All of us at the GSGA are deeply saddened by the tragic events that occurred earlier today at Pinetree CC,” the Georgia State Golf Association said in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with Gene Siller’s family and friends.”
The country club is located along McCollum Parkway near Kennesaw State University’s main campus.
KSU officials sent out an emergency alert about 3 p.m. alerting students and faculty about the shooting nearby. The golf course is also used by the university’s men and women’s golf teams.
Police have not said what led to the deadly shooting, but several people told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution it appeared the gunman’s truck got stuck near the 18th green after he drove onto the course from an adjacent neighborhood.
Cobb County police did not immediately return a request for comment Sunday, but witnesses told the Atlanta Journal Constitution that a truck had gotten stuck on the 18th hole and Siller went onto the course to help.
Siller was shot when he went onto the course to investigate, they said.
“He was a great boss and an even better man,” said a country club employee who asked not to be identified.
The AJC has not been able to confirm the details with law enforcement officials. Cobb police confirmed the shooting, but have not said whether the suspect has been captured.
“We are still in the preliminary stages of the investigation and will provide additional details as they are received,” agency spokeswoman Officer Shenise Barner said in an email.
In a tweet, KSU Emergency Management said the “armed and dangerous” man was last seen on Club Drive headed toward Shiloh Road. Officials said he is about about 6-foot-1 with long hair and was last seen wearing a white or tan shirt and dark-colored work pants.
