73-Year-Old Dentist Arrested in Fatal Shooting at Former Atlanta Office

A 37-year-old man was found suffering from a gunshot wound at the site of a former dentist’s office in southwest Atlanta and later pronounced dead, and Atlanta police have arrested 73-year-old dentist David Mays in connection with the killing. Atlanta police said the shooting took place around 3 p.m. at what has been described as a closed or former dentist’s office.

Police charged Mays with murder, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and “Mays was taken to Fulton County Jail,” according to the initial law-enforcement account. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s reporting identified the scene as the office in the 3400 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and said Mays was booked into the Fulton County Jail after being detained for questioning related to gunfire at that location.

Reports conflict on the exact day of the shooting. ANF/Gray News wire outlets reported the shooting occurred Saturday, while AJC’s coverage referenced Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026, and elsewhere noted Saturday afternoon in the same account. Investigators and jail records must be checked to reconcile the discrepancy in published timelines.

When officers arrived at the scene, they found a 37-year-old man suffering from a gunshot wound; he was later pronounced dead, and authorities have not yet identified the victim. The investigation remains ongoing and Atlanta police have not released additional details about how the victim and suspect were connected, where the victim was pronounced, or whether paramedics or hospital staff were involved.

Local social-media reaction to the arrest was visible after the wire story was reposted by a TV station’s Facebook page. That post registered 66 reactions, 32 comments and five shares in the scraped metrics, with commenters noting the incident’s location and criticizing media coverage; one reply directed curious readers to “Atlanta GA if you’re curious.”

Key unanswered questions remain: the exact date and time of the shooting as recorded in APD logs and Fulton County booking records, the identity and next-of-kin notification for the 37-year-old victim, whether the address on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive was a former practice of David Mays, and whether Mays currently holds an active Georgia dental license. Records to check include Atlanta Police Department incident logs, the Fulton County Jail booking roster for David Mays, and the Georgia Board of Dentistry license lookup.

Authorities have not released further investigative findings. The charges listed against David Mays are murder, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and the investigation into the fatal shooting at the former dental office on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive is ongoing.