Atlanta police have charged one suspect in last month’s overnight shooting along Edgewood Avenue that left one man dead and 10 others injured.
Authorities announced Friday that Rico T. Arnold, 19, was taken into custody during a Clayton County traffic stop. Arnold faces one count of murder and 10 counts of aggravated assault.
Arnold’s arrest came moments after Atlanta police released surveillance photos of three others — two men and a woman — whom they also believe to be involved in the July 28 shooting outside Edgewood Avenue’s bustling nightlife district.
The shooting, one of a dozen reported across the city that weekend, happened around 1:30 a.m., about an hour after the bars closed for the night.
When police arrived, they found 27-year-old Santos Wyatt lying on the ground with serious injuries. He did not survive. Wyatt’s funeral service will be held Saturday afternoon at nearby Liberty Baptist Church, according to his obituary.
The shooting was one of four reported that weekend along Edgewood Avenue, making it a particularly violent weekend in a year in which homicides are down across the city, officials said.
“We haven’t had a weekend like this in a long time,” Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said at a July 28 news conference. “We know that summer months often bring some of the most challenging times when it comes to crime and gun violence in our communities. … We are doing all that we can to prevent these tragedies even before they happen.”
In the aftermath of the shooting, several community leaders and business owners told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution they felt the city hadn’t done enough to crack down on the late-night street takeovers and unsanctioned parties that have led to violence in the historic Sweet Auburn neighborhood.
Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez
Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez
In response to the shooting, Atlanta city officials vowed this week to increase enforcement along Edgewood Avenue. They promised to step up patrols and code enforcement in the hope of making the corridor safer.
Atlanta police said they are also working with external agencies to focus on surrounding streets, where teams will conduct licensing and compliance checks for after-hours alcohol sales, occupancy limits and food vending regulations.
City Councilmember Liliana Bakhtiari, whose district includes the area, also introduced legislation creating a public safety task force in the neighborhood.
She called Edgewood Avenue “an essential part of Atlanta’s culture” and said the group would work with locals and city officials to come up with solutions aimed at curbing crime in the area.
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