A fourth person has been charged in the fatal shooting of a Norfolk Southern contractor at an Austell rail facility, the Atlanta Focal reported on October 20, citing Cobb County officials. Christopher Riles, 36, faces charges of felony murder and aggravated assault in the death of Curdravious Clark, 27, the Focal said. The Cobb County Courier, reporting the same development on October 20, confirmed Cobb Police issued a murder warrant on October 14 for a 36-year-old man held at Calhoun State Prison, charging him with murder and aggravated assault — the same age, prison, warrant date and charges reported by the Focal for Riles.
Clark was found wounded by gunfire in the parking lot of the Whitaker Intermodal Terminal on September 14, according to information previously released by police and reported by both outlets. The Courier said Austell Police called to the rail yards found the 27-year-old victim with a gunshot wound and he was later pronounced dead at a hospital. The Focal said Clark was found wounded at the scene and later died.
Riles is being held at Calhoun State Prison in South Georgia. Georgia Department of Corrections records show he has been serving a sentence since December 2024 for gang participation in Cobb County, with prior prison stays dating to 2012, the Focal reported. A third suspect, age 27, was picked up by Escambia County, Florida, deputies on October 15 and faces felony murder and aggravated assault charges, and two men, ages 28 and 26, were also arrested earlier and charged with murder, assault-related crimes and weapons offences, the Courier reported. They are held at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center.
Officials have not said how investigators believe Riles was connected to the September shooting while incarcerated, and authorities have not disclosed a motive or the circumstances leading up to Clark's death, both outlets reported. The investigation is ongoing. The charges against Riles are allegations, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. Sources: Atlanta Focal, October 20, 2026; Cobb County Courier, October 20, 2026.