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Arrest made in murder of beloved philanthropist business leader, shot dead while waiting outside pharmacy for wife

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An arrest has been made in the murder of a prominent Georgia businessman, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Jack Hough, 73, was fatally shot in the parking lot of a Gainesville CVS Thursday evening while his wife went inside the store to pick up a prescription. The shooting prompted an intense manhunt for the suspect, including the use of K-9 units and a helicopter.

On Sunday, police announced they arrested 24-year-old Demarvin Bennett around 2 a.m. in connection with another shooting in East Point, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta that is about 60 miles south of Gainesville. Parrish said Bennett and his girlfriend had recently moved to Gainesville to find work and a place to live, but they returned to East Point after the shooting.

Forensic evidence left at the scene connected Bennett to the crime, Parrish said.

Authorities believe Hough was sitting inside his Mercedes when Bennett approached him as part of an attempted robbery or carjacking. A struggle ensued and Hough was then shot twice in the chest. He was rushed to a hospital and later died.

Witnesses said the perpetrator was wearing all black and a mask; he was reportedly wandering the store’s parking lot before the encounter.

Bennett has a criminal record, although he has no ties to any recent crimes in the area, according to Gainesville Police Chief Jay Parrish. Bennett is cooperating with investigators and police have recovered what they believe is the murder weapon, Parrish said at Sunday morning news conference.

Parrish said the arrest will hopefully bring relief to the victim’s family.

“It just takes that cloud off of them as they begin their own healing process,” Parrish said.

Bennett is being held in the Hall County Jail.

[Feature Photo: Jack Hough/Facebook;]