Metro Atlanta
Metro Atlanta

911 caller: 40-50 shots fired in death of DeKalb man

Police tow a car left at the Gulf American Inns after a shooting at the motel.
Police tow a car left at the Gulf American Inns after a shooting at the motel.
By Joshua Sharpe
April 13, 2017

As Joseph "JP" Aretreas Brown fell dead early Wednesday morning in DeKalb County, witnesses reported hearing dozens of gunshots.

One caller said they heard 10 shots and saw people running near Flat Shoals Road, according to a police report released Thursday. Another reported 40 to 50 shots and the sounds of people screaming, and another said a man was shot in the head.

Police found Brown, 39, face down in a pool of blood on the sidewalk behind Gulf American Inn, which is near Taco Bell and I-285, at about 12:30 a.m.

A Buick LeSabre near the body had a bullet hole in the glass.

DeKalb County police haven’t released any information on a possible motive or suspect.

RELATED: Police error saves ex-DeKalb teacher from child molestation charge

RELATED: Attorney: Ex-DeKalb cop said he was a gang 'hitman' to impress a girl

RELATED: DeKalb's Tupac statue disappeared. Now a new one is finally coming.

Like DeKalb County News Now on Facebook | Follow on Twitter and Instagram

In other news:

Friends say Gerald Tisdale was on his way to see his children when someone opened fire on him driving down Highway 78.

About the Author

Follow Joshua Sharpe on twitter
More Stories

Keep Reading

The Elleven45 Lounge on Peachtree Road closed permanently after patrons were fatally shot inside on Mother's Day in 2024. The Buckhead nightclub's owner, Djibril Dafe, is now on the hook for $66.5 million in a lawsuit brought by the family of one of the slain patrons. (John Spink for the AJC 2024)

Credit: John Spink

Buckhead club owner must pay $66M for student’s death

The owner of the now-defunct Buckhead nightclub Elleven45 Lounge is on the hook for $66.5 million in a lawsuit over a young patron's shooting death on Mother's Day in 2024.

At the Cobb jail, a new kind of rehabilitation starts at the horse barn

Joshua Arp is one of two Cobb County jail detainees taking part of the sheriff’s office new equine therapy program meant to help him stay out of jail.

Ex-Milton lieutenant granted $15K bond in Cobb crash that killed trucker

A former metro Atlanta police lieutenant accused in a deadly hit-and-run crash was granted a $15,000 bond during a court hearing Wednesday, according to his defense attorney.

The Latest

Christopher Bradshaw (left) is accused of killing Terrell Lowdermilk in a hit-and-run crash. (Police and family photos)

Credit: Police and family photos

Ex-Milton lieutenant granted $15K bond in Cobb crash that killed trucker

At the Cobb jail, a new kind of rehabilitation starts at the horse barn

Buckhead club owner must pay $66M for student’s death

Featured

University of Georgia students are seen entering and leaving the main Library on the Athens campus on Monday, Sept. 8, 2025. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

UGA to pay $100K H-1B visa fee only ‘in exceptional circumstances’

The University of Georgia could soon limit the number of foreign workers it employs, a result of the $100,000 fee imposed on some H-1B visas.

1h ago

Georgia judges deal blow to ICE’s new mandatory detention policy

The ruling is a first-of-its-kind to come out of Georgia’s Middle District.

At the Cobb jail, a new kind of rehabilitation starts at the horse barn

Joshua Arp is one of two Cobb County jail detainees taking part of the sheriff’s office new equine therapy program meant to help him stay out of jail.