Todd Orr

BREAKING NEWS: Todd Orr charged in Christmas Day shooting

Posted by
Mike Buffington
in Public Safety Archives
Saturday, January 1. 2011
Comments (32)
Barrow County firefighter Todd Orr was arrested Friday in the Christmas Day shooting that left an adult daughter maimed and himself wounded.

Orr was arrested by Barrow County Sheriff's Office deputies after being released from a mental health evaluation facility. He was charged with one count of misdemeanor reckless conduct and a count of felony cruelty to children in the 2nd degree. The felony charge carries up to a five-year prison sentence, said Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith.

Orr was arraigned in Barrow Magistrate Court Friday afternoon with bond set at $19,000.

The shooting took place during a domestic dispute at the family's home. Orr apparently grabbed a deer hunting rifle and threatened to harm himself, other family members said. During a struggle over the weapon, the gun discharged and the bullet went through the arm of his daughter, Tiffany Thomas, causing the lower part of her arm to be amputated. The bullet then went through Orr's own hand and chest.

The family argument was reportedly over allegations of Orr having an affair. Orr denied both the affair and that he intended to harm himself, Smith said.

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#1 John Jay on 12/31/10 at 11:27 PM [Reply]
Good for Barrow Sheriff. Hope he serves the max time for his actions.
#2 So Burr on 01/01/11 at 06:55 AM [Reply]
About time. Looks like media scrutiny and a loud public outcry forced Jug-head's hand. It shouldn't take Dick Tracy to determine that when a drunk idiot shoots his daughter's arm off that a law has been broken. And, all those wailing that "It was an accident!" nonsense can retreat back into their alcoholic-delusion world.
#2.1 Bur on 01/01/11 at 03:05 PM [Reply]
You didnt read the original article, did you? It says the investgation was ongoing. What part of that did you not understand? Some people.....
#3 unknown on 01/01/11 at 12:01 PM [Reply]
No matter how this turns out we should not be throwing negative remarks because it could easy be us so let's just join together and pray for the family and no matter what the devil tried to destroy I pray that God will make it a testimony and we will give him all the praise and glory and honor .... remember we are not soppose to judge God bless you all
#3.1 Tee Bag on 01/01/11 at 04:24 PM [Reply]
"could easy be us"?
Speak for yourself!
I abolutely promise that I never will get drunk as a cooter, pick up a deer rifle and shoot anybody, anywhere!

There are a lot of "accidents" that could befall me, but the above is not among them.

And, BTW, why is this character still employed by the Skinner mob, at public expense?
#3.1.1 kbloodworth on 01/02/11 at 07:51 PM [Reply]
Get your story straight!!! HE DID NOT SHOOT ANYONE!!! I hate when people cant get their story straight and run their mouth about something they know nothing about!!
#3.1.1.1 John Jay on 01/03/11 at 09:57 PM [Reply]
So I guess his daughter's arm fell off just randomly? Let me guess the weapon discharged 'accidentally' right? You need to get your story straight.
#4 saddened on 01/01/11 at 06:34 PM [Reply]
It's a sad event for this family & it is only worse that he is a known county employee not by the good he has did for Barrow Co but he will be remembered for this garbage! If this has been an unknown person everyone in the county would not know all this information. This is terrible for a family to have to go through! I pray everything turns out OK for the family and the rest of you who have posted on this article and the one before get a life and let them live in peace! This family will remain in our prayers!
#4.1 LGH on 01/05/11 at 07:15 PM [Reply]
The family has my support and I will continue to pray for all of them.
#5 J_B_Moore on 01/01/11 at 08:51 PM [Reply]
Please stop putting your convienant religion to justify someones behavior. This is not about god or judgement. This is about having to answer for your choices and decisions you make,Mr. Orr will have to answer for his choices. I will pray for Mr. Orr for the simple fact that he is a fellow public safety employee and if I was shot and worked in the same county as he I am sure he would do his best to assist me. We should give our God praise and glory for all things and we do live in a nation of laws and order. There was a public outcry not of people personally attacking Mr. Orr but of people who felt that there was no justice and wanted the rule of law to be followed. Of course I do not believe that Mr. Orr had malice in his heart and wanted the outcome to be as such, however he did make the decisions that led to that occurance and he will now answer to the justice system for that. Of course politics played into the handling of this arrest. If the people are not happy the voters are not happy. Maybe the Sheriff's Office was taking there time investigating and maybe they were forced. Unless you work there and you are the investigator on the case you will never know. I believe this is an example of the benifit of a elected official running the county law enforcement and not someone who has been appointed. So yes we should pray for this man, but no matter how good of a man some believe he is, he is still subject to answering for his actions and that he will be doing.
#5.1 Barrow Citizen on 01/02/11 at 12:20 AM [Reply]
Well said JB Moore!

While this is a tragic situation, Lt. Orr and his family are facing the consequences of actions that he took. While there may not have been any intent or purpose for what happened, it was indeed reckless. The law defines recklessness as something a reasonable prudent person would not do. So no, a situation resulting from reckless conduct is not something that could happen to any of us! The law does not punish random situations that are indeed accidents, but instead seeks to prevent gross deviations from what a reasonable person would do.

The publicity of this situation was also inevitable. It's a story that has been published in the Athens Banner Herald as well as the AJC. Many of the readers from those publications do not know the Orr family. However, the story is still published because it contains issues of interest to the public. The public became more involved when they thought that this crime may go unanswered based on comments published in the Barrow Journal's original article. However, I noticed that the article was later changed with updated remarks from the Sheriff's Dept. It appears the Sheriff's Dept ultimately made the correct remarks and did a good job after a slight hiccup in their initial statement. So the publicity has very little to do with how well-known the Orr family is...many of us could care less as long as the correct procedures are followed.

While we do not judge Lt. Orr ourselves, society will judge Orr in the judicial system. Individually, we only have the power to insist that the system has a chance to work. Best wishes to the Orr family for this tragedy.
#6 Just the Facts on 01/01/11 at 10:59 PM [Reply]
Actually the daughters and the family on their caringBridge site said DO NOT READ THE PAPERS THE INFORMATION IS NOT CORRECT. But from what I have read from all other papers including this one is that there were differing stories on how many people where actually grabbing for the gun. NOwhere did it say he was drunk as a coot. I am friends with Jud but i think it is ashamed he interviewed everyone at the scene on the 25th and ruled it an accident. Then because of this paper and a few comments from the same people over and over That Jud gave into peer presure. i have heard many say they will not support him next time he runs if he can change is mind or determination that quick and because of peer pressure. This particular thing may not happen to you Burr head readneck but something will and you will get the same treatment you give out to others ot it may hit a family memeber and then you will cry foul. Todd never according to the girls threatened them he was going to leave. What should have really happened is that they should have let him leave and call the police. No one forced anyone to go grab a Hunting riffle that they know was loaded. My feeling is that if i were Pregnant I would definately not be the one to go after a loaded riffle. Is that not Child endangerment on the moms part? Just a thought that someone that doesn't know the family mentioned to me. I do believe that Todd if anything was going to leave and possibly harm himself but not do it in front of the family as someone suggested when the story broke a week ago. I know I would want a Jury who was going to look at facts and not make up or ASSUME things. Instead of throwing rocks I just pray that the family can overcome this and still be a tight family that I know they really are. If you say shit doesn't hit the fan occasionally at your house you are lying. No I don't even own a gun or have one at my home but I do understand depression and know alcohol makes it worse but people that are that depressed aren't thinking straight and just feel gutted. So I am glad he is getting help. I do feel with the information the girls have given it was an accident and Tiffany was just trying to protect her dad because she loved him and felt somewhat guilty for being a part of the arguement that finally was the final straw that sent him over the edge. I don't think she intentionally put her child in harm she wasn't thinking of that at the time she was thinking of her dad.
#7 Sarabeth on 01/02/11 at 12:19 PM [Reply]
Dear Everyone,

Those of you who actually know Todd Orr would agree that this man is all about his family and all about the community. He loves his daughters with every bone in his body. I grew up with Todd being like a second father to me. He was my softball coach for 10 years of my life. Everyone on the team would agree that he would do anything for us. Its rediculous that people want to go online and trash talk a man that has done more good in this town than bad.The Orr family is all about giving back. Mrs. Tereasa helps with the special ed children at WBHS and Todd is a firefighter. Don't disregard these facts when looking at this story. And remember, there are always two sides to every story. This was a freak accident. Todd is not a criminal. The criminals are those trying to twist this story and steal credibility away from this family. Stop judging them and just keep them in your prayers. Thats what I will be doing during this time. To the Orr family, thank you for being there for me. I will always be on your side.
#8 Gossip column on 01/02/11 at 02:15 PM [Reply]
This newspaper is just a giant gossipo column. yes they do report a lot of interetsing stories, and yes they sometimes hit the elected officials hard. however the added details that they continuously give in their articles surpass the telling of pertainant information and tend toward the titilating. just like the national enquirer or the star or any number of other national tabloids. I guess they think we should be proud that we have a local tabloid.
#9 Anonymous on 01/02/11 at 05:57 PM [Reply]
The Barrow Journal prints the truth. They don't believe in sacred cows like the other paper does. If the Barrow County News would have printed the news like it should have been, The Barrow Journal wouldn't be here. The publisher of The Barrow Journal helped put the corrupt former DA in jail. The Barrow County News never even wrote about that story.
#10 J_B_Moore on 01/02/11 at 06:48 PM [Reply]
This paper prints facts that they have obtained from incident reports and direct quotes from the officials. I have not seen any opion expressed except in the opinion section(where they seem to be flaming liberals). The forum that they allow participation in for comments is monitored and allows people to express there views freely within reason. If you want to attack the paper because they allow people to express their views or state their grievances then maybe you should read that often forgotten first ammendment in that old document that so many feel is outdated and unimportant. I would like to say thank you to the Barrow Journal for actually showing good local journalism that we dont get anywhere else.
#10.1 Facts I See on 01/02/11 at 08:25 PM [Reply]
I am quite sure facts don't start with "apparently" and that is what this article states.
#11 a cautionary tale on 01/03/11 at 08:28 AM [Reply]
None of this would have happened if Mr Orr had been faithful to his wife, as he promised when he took his wedding vows. No affair, no Christmas confrontation, no threatened suicide drama, no shooting. Mr Orr's affair set this all in motion.
#12 Blair Darst on 01/03/11 at 10:13 AM [Reply]
Ei incumbit probatio qui dicit, non qui negat or(the principle that one is considered innocent until proven guilty) is a legal right of the accused in a criminal trial.The burden of proof is thus on the prosecution, which has to collect and present enough compelling evidence to convince the trier of fact, who is restrained and ordered by law to consider only actual evidence and testimony that is legally admissible, and in most cases lawfully obtained, that the accused is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. In case of remaining doubts, the accused is to be acquitted. (Wikipedia)

I would hope most people because I honestly read above and can't say everyone would take this to heart. Todd or Mr. Orr should be considered innocent until the state proves their case. This was a tragic event that has occurred to a friend of mine and a friend to many. Todd speaks so highly of his children that what has occurred is devastating to him as well as to his family. The public sent our last Fire Chief packing and the "Criminal Charges" against him were later unfounded and dropped. Now he is out of a job and his name has been smeared through the mud because a rush to judgement. You want the whole truth you will have to pay more than a quarter to get it. Or in this case more than what the cost of your internet services cost you.

Todd Orr will have to face this battle or truth regardless of what public opinion thinks of him as a person or how they want to twist the facts to meet what ever expectation of guilt or innocence he may have. Unfortunately now everyone thinks they know the truth and our trier of fact. Let the truth come out where it was designed to come out and that is in a court of law. The Court of public opinion is not where we need to place blame. I do know that a Grand Jury will have to hear the facts of the case and submit a true bill or no bill and I would hope that all the potential Grand Jury people that have been called upon to serve would not take what people write or opinionated and potentially destroy someones lively hood or life to that matter. I wish the entire Orr family well and hope that as tragic as this event is that everyone remember that they are alive and that an infant will be born into this world with both a mother and a father as well as a grandfather. We live for our children and hopefully one day this will seem like a bump in the road. But everyone should remember that the Constitution of the United States was written for us as US citizens and it is something that we should live by.

Blair Darst
#12.1 Hammy Burgher on 01/03/11 at 11:32 AM [Reply]
Anyone who is silly and ignorant enough to cite Wikipedia as a source to buttress any argument is automatically rendered null & void and cast into the dummy dustbin. BTW, the doctrine which you reference applies only to a jury inside a courtroom. It has nothing to do with public opinion or expression of same. And, try citing some federal case law relevant to the doctrine. Hint: Permissible to draw negative influence regarding a defendant who has been indicted for a felony.
#12.2 Fireman on 01/04/11 at 05:20 PM [Reply]
Blair, you may have noticed the Fire Department has not commented wether officially or not. Why dont you do the rest of us a favor and not post. We will deal with this as a family, as it should be. What the public thinks or doesn't think does not matter. You thinking you have to protect Todd is foolish and is a losing battle in a public forum. And please never use wikipedia as a source of your info.
#13 John Jay on 01/03/11 at 04:16 PM [Reply]
Dang he is a hobbit. Must have small man's syndrome.
#13.1 Mark Thompson on 01/04/11 at 11:18 AM [Reply]
That is very mature. Are you old enough to be on a computer by yourself?
#13.1.1 John Jay on 01/04/11 at 09:20 PM [Reply]
Numbers do not lie. I mean under 5'6" - really?
#13.1.1.1 Jack Legg on 01/05/11 at 08:29 AM [Reply]
John Jay you are a apthetic semi human being. Come to my house today and I will show you how far you can be flushed down a toilet. you sir are a piece of feces.
#13.1.1.1.1 John Jay on 01/05/11 at 04:16 PM [Reply]
Send the address and I will be happy to pay you a visit.
#13.1.1.1.1.1 Jack Legg on 01/05/11 at 06:39 PM [Reply]
old County Line, be there in the morning at 0800
#13.1.1.1.1.2 Jack Legg on 01/05/11 at 06:59 PM [Reply]
Im just so dang scareed of your threats ,please mr. J dont hurt me....bahahaha, I will just wipe you off of my shoe and go on.
#13.1.1.1.1.3 FRIEND on 01/05/11 at 07:53 PM [Reply]
John Jay, sounds like you are poor as they come. Most likely can't even live pay check to pay check. I do understand, 2K per year probably is hard to live off of. Perhaps, you should spend your time getting some kind of education instead of being an idiot. Then, just maybe, if your study real hard; you may be able to earn 5K a year. A%$ Clown.
#13.1.1.1.1.3.1 just curious on 01/08/11 at 03:53 PM [Reply]
did yall end up meeting on county line rd at 8, if so who won
#14 Carrie Ann on 01/04/11 at 11:44 AM [Reply]
I do not know Mr .Orr or his family .I pray for his daughter and for his family and even for him..
But to be honest..

I find it's Selfish to try to kill your self on X-mas day.For real???Suicide ?? Being a drama queen..If you cheated just man -up if you did not still be a man and just face the argument as a grown up ..
#15 Anonymous on 01/06/11 at 05:49 AM [Reply]
I'm from Winder.

This does not surprise me at all. White trash drunkard messing around with a gun and shooting his daughter's arm off? Welcome to Barrow County.
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