3 wounded in shootout outside shopping center

Police are investigating a triple shooting in the parking lot of a busy DeKalb County shopping center on Fairington Road. (Credit: Channel 2 Action News)

Police are investigating a triple shooting in the parking lot of a busy DeKalb County shopping center on Fairington Road. (Credit: Channel 2 Action News)

Two men had a phone they wanted to sell and a prospective buyer.

The three men agreed to meet Sunday in the parking lot of a DeKalb County shopping center on Fairington Road to complete the sale.

Instead of a phone and money, the men exchanged gunfire, sending bullets flying outside the busy shopping center and wounding the men, police said Monday.

According to police, the 23-year-old man interested in the phone tried to rob the 19-year-old and 21-year-old sellers. That’s when the shots were exchanged.

An officer heard the gunfire about 5 p.m. and saw a vehicle speeding away from the parking lot of the Lowe’s Home Improvement, DeKalb police Maj. Stephen Fore said.

“The officer stopped the vehicle and found two males, ages 21 and 19, suffering from gunshot wounds,” Fore said. “A third person shot was found back at Lowe’s.”

All three men were taken to a hospital. Officials said they are expected to survive.

The 23-year-old man faces charges of aggravated assault and armed robbery, Fore said. Police have not released his name.

The other men will not be charged, Fore said.