Man wanted in Fulton County homicide arrested after chase into Houston County

The arrest follows a deadly shooting near an elementary school in Fulton County, where no students were harmed.

WARNER ROBINS, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — A man taken into custody in Houston County is being held on multiple charges and warrants, according to jail records, after the NBC affiliate in Atlanta reported he was the suspect authorities were searching for following a deadly shooting near an elementary school in Fulton County on Tuesday.

On February 10, 2026, at approximately 1:20 p.m., the Houston County Sheriff’s Office said it received notification from its Flock camera system that a 2016 GMC Acadia associated with a homicide earlier in the day in Fulton County was entering Houston County near the intersection of Russell Parkway and Georgia Highway 41.

Law enforcement officers from the Warner Robins Police Department and the Houston County Sheriff’s Office responded to the area in an attempt to locate the vehicle. The Acadia was observed traveling eastbound on Russell Parkway into Warner Robins. Officers attempted to conduct a felony traffic stop, but the driver, later identified as 39-year-old Christopher Loris Ates of Centerville, fled, according to authorities.

The Houston County Sheriff’s Office initiated a vehicle pursuit that continued eastbound on Russell Parkway, southbound on Georgia Highway 247 and then eastbound on Georgia Highway 96 toward Twiggs County. Deputies attempted several times to perform a precision immobilization technique maneuver to safely end the pursuit but were unsuccessful.

The pursuit continued into Twiggs County, where authorities said Ates struck a semi-truck, then a bridge guardrail, before leaving the roadway and traveling down an embankment. Ates then exited the vehicle and fled on foot into a wooded area. Deputies pursued him and took him into custody without further incident.

While deputies were engaged in the foot pursuit, they heard a juvenile crying inside the Acadia. Deputies removed the juvenile from the vehicle, and EMS evaluated the child at the scene. The juvenile was later turned over to the Houston County Sheriff’s Office Juvenile Division.

The affiliate reported the suspect was taken into custody after the vehicle chase.

Houston County Jail records show Ates was booked Tuesday and is being held without bond on multiple warrants and agency holds, including a hold for Warner Robins police and an additional warrant issued out of Fulton County. Additional charges are pending.

According to jail records, Ates faces charges in Houston County including reckless driving, fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer and second-degree cruelty to children.

Fulton County Schools said no students or staff were involved and everyone on campus was safe. As a precaution, students at Palmetto Elementary were relocated to a nearby middle school to reunite with parents. The school remained on lockdown while law enforcement cleared the scene.