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Ex-BDO IT Audit Manager Raissa Kengne Charged in Deadly Atlanta Shooting (UPDATE)

[Update at bottom of post with charges filed against Raissa Kengne; internal email from BDO about the shooting.]

A woman who was arrested earlier today after allegedly shooting three people, killing two of them, in Midtown Atlanta is reportedly a former audit manager at BDO USA.

As of 11:40 p.m. ET, police have yet to identify the suspect who, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, was arrested and taken into custody in the international terminal of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport around 4 p.m. However, the CBS affiliate in Atlanta and the Daily Mail have identified the shooter as Raissa Kengne, and the Daily Mail reported that she is a former audit manager at BDO USA.

[A]n email alert sent by Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority warning its employees of the shooter identified the suspect as Raissa Kengne, a former Audit Manager at BDO, an accounting firm situated in the square.

Atlanta Police have not confirmed that is the name of the possible suspect.

A LinkedIn profile for Raissa Kengne shows that she is CEO and president of Kengne Corp. and she previously worked for BDO in Atlanta from August 2019 until November 2021 as an IT audit manager. Kengne also worked in attest services at Grant Thornton in Atlanta as a senior IT associate from April 2018 until August 2019.

AJC reported that the shooting took place at two Midtown locations. Michael Shinners, 60, was found dead at the first shooting scene, the 1280 West condominium building on West Peachtree Street, the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s office confirmed. Another person at that location was shot and injured, according to police. That person’s condition isn’t known at this time. The second victim, Wesley Freeman, 41, was shot at an office tower at 1100 Peachtree St. and later died at Grady Memorial Hospital, according to the medical examiner’s office.

BDO USA’s office in Atlanta is located at 1100 Peachtree St., and BDO in Atlanta employed a Wesley Freeman whose LinkedIn profile shows he is a managing director in IS assurance. Kengne mentions Freeman by name in a rant she posted on LinkedIn a week ago about how BDO retaliated against her for reporting violations of auditing standards pertaining to IT audit engagements:

I was severely retaliated against and constructively discharged. My home was broken into. My life and my family lives were threatened – not only by BDO USA, LLP and its Partners and members of its senior management team, but also by their clients. … Furthermore, BDO USA employees and partners leverage their relationship with people living in my condominium in order to pursue the retaliation at my home.

Shinners worked at Beacon Management Services, the property management company for the condos at 1280 West Peachtree St. where he was shot and killed. During a news conference after the woman’s arrest, Atlanta police said the suspect lived in that building. In that same post on LinkedIn, Kengne wrote:

If you are planning to move to a condominium, I would advise that you stay away from one managed by Beacon Management Services; they are not only incompetent, but criminal as well.

Police said the shooting was “not random” and the victims were specifically targeted, according to AJC:

Officials did not say what motive led the suspect to shoot three people, but Channel 2 Action News reported that the woman lived in the building where the first shooting took place around 1:45 p.m. The residential condos remained locked down at 6:30 p.m., the news station reported.

Authorities also did not provide information about the surviving victim.

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said the woman was arrested before going through security and entering a restricted area of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, AJC reported. Police didn’t disclose how the suspect got to the airport from Midtown. The weapon used in the shooting was recovered at the airport, authorities said.

We’ll continue to update this post as more information is released.

[UPDATE 1] Atlanta police have charged Raissa Kengne, 34, with two counts of murder, four counts of aggravated assault, possession of a firearm, and false imprisonment. The last update from the Atlanta Police Department said she is awaiting to be transported to Fulton County Jail.

[UPDATE 2] Someone who works at BDO posted to Fishbowl a screenshot of a message sent to employees by CEO Wayne Berson and Chief People Officer Cathy Moy this morning regarding yesterday’s shooting in Atlanta. In the message, they confirm that Wesley Freeman, who was shot and killed by Raissa Kengne, was an IS assurance managing director at the BDO Atlanta office. The message also says the Atlanta office is closed until further notice. Here is the text of that message:

As you may have seen in the news, there was an active shooter incident in Midtown, Atlanta, which included our BDO office. We’re heartbroken to share that one of our employees, Wesley (Wes) Freeman, lost his life yesterday as a result of this incident.

This is devastating and something we never could have imagined we would face as a firm. But we know what it means to support each other during difficult times, and that’s what we must do in this moment. We must come together as a BDO family like we always do.

Wes, an IS Assurance managing director, was an incredible team member who brought exceptional passion, dedication, and integrity to his work over the past 17 years at BDO. He will be deeply missed.

Please keep Wes’ family, our colleagues in Atlanta and all those impacted by this senseless act of violence in your hearts and minds.

CEO Wayne Berson & Chief People Officer Cathy Moy

The Atlanta office is closed until further notice. The firm is working closely with law enforcement as they continue to investigate.

Freeman reportedly was Kengne’s supervisor at BDO in Atlanta.

[UPDATE 3] Raissa Kengne was denied bond at her first appearance hearing early Tuesday afternoon, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Also, the injured shooting victim at the 1280 West condominium building on West Peachtree Street where Kengne lived was identified as Mike Horne, chief building engineer for Beacon Management Services, the company that manages the condos. His condition remains unknown. Property manager Michael Shinners was shot and killed by Kengne at that location yesterday. AJC reported the two men were found in the management office.

A fourth victim was held at gunpoint in the management office as Kengne demanded personal property from the employee, according to the arrest warrant which was seen by AJC.