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Reward put up in slaying
Guards family seeking closure
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Forsyth County News
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Anyone with information about the shooting at The Preserve at Collier Ridge can call the Atlanta Police Department’s Crime Stoppers hotline at (404) 577-8477. Callers may remain anonymous.
The family of a Forsyth County man shot while working security in Atlanta is offering a reward in the hopes of catching the person responsible for his death.

Robert E. “Robbie” Smith Jr., 43, died Friday night after being shot at The Preserve at Collier Ridge apartment complex.

Atlanta authorities said Smith was shot in the leg and later died at Grady Memorial Hospital.

As of Wednesday, no arrests had been made in connection with the case.

Chuck Pettyjohn, Smith’s younger brother, said the family is offering a $5,000 reward for information that leads to the capture of his brother’s killer.

“We will not have closure until the person is caught, tried and found guilty,” Pettyjohn said.

Atlanta police have shared few details about the incident. He said the family is trying to prevent the case from going cold.

“We’re getting various reports,” he said. “I have heard everything from he was shot at a door to he was shot in the woods to he chased after somebody ... I have no idea.”

One of Smith’s children is 21 and the other two are 18. A fund has not yet been set up to help the family, though Pettyjohn said there is a need.

Growing up, Pettyjohn said, Smith was always a leader and enjoyed karate.

“It was a relationship that later on, when I was younger, I used to go to him for advice,” he said. “Then later in years, he would come to me. We were always there for each other.”

Pettyjohn is the jail/communications supervisor for the Cumming Police Department. He said his brother worked as a full-time and reserve officer for the agency several years ago.

About 20 years ago, Smith worked for the Gwinnett County and later Lawrenceville police departments.

“He loved what he did,” Pettyjohn said. “That’s why he was doing his current job, which was security.”

Pettyjohn said his brother often introduced him as his “little big brother” and he used to joke that Smith, who had a few tattoos and enjoyed the occasional motorcycle ride, was the black sheep of the family.

Smith also went on several mission trips to Africa and often brought home stray animals.

“The bond that we had was something that could never be broken,” Pettyjohn said. “He was a man that I truly loved and respected and will always.”

Smith’s funeral was scheduled for Wednesday afternoon at Ingram Funeral Home in Cumming.

Other immediate survivors include his parents, Charles and Joyce Pettyjohn of Monroe, and several siblings.