Veterinarian Arrested Following Gunfire Incident in Grovetown, Georgia

Authorities responded to a call from a woman claiming her mother was threatened with a gun by a neighbor and that a gunshot had been heard. Upon arrival, deputies found Martin sitting on her front steps, visibly upset and crying. A deputy noted in an incident report that Martin appeared unsteady and had the strong odor of alcohol on her breath.

Martin explained to the deputy that upon returning home, she had noticed a white truck in her driveway. According to her account, she retrieved a .40-caliber handgun from her vehicle and went into her backyard. There, she allegedly announced, “I have a gun if anyone is in my house,” before firing a round toward the fence.

Afterward, she observed the truck’s owner returning from a nearby house. The owner stated she had parked in Martin's driveway temporarily while visiting her daughter, believing it wouldn’t be an issue as Martin's home was often vacant. Following the gunfire, the truck owner’s daughter witnessed Martin brandishing the gun and shouting about trespassing.

A nearby witness reported attempts to de-escalate the confrontation between Martin and the neighbor. The deputies later found the firearm hidden behind a fence, with a round in the chamber and two more in the magazine.

Martin was charged with discharging a firearm near a public highway and tampering with evidence. Additionally, her veterinary license had been temporarily suspended by the Georgia State Board of Veterinary Medicine in August due to multiple complaints regarding her professional conduct, including allegations of alcohol consumption during patient care and substandard treatment conditions.