Boy, 10, hospitalized after ‘targeted’ shooting in SE Atlanta, police say

A 10-year-old boy underwent surgery Sunday after being injured in a “targeted” shooting in southeast Atlanta, authorities said.

Atlanta police were called around 6:45 a.m. about the gunfire that erupted in the 100 block of Ruzelle Drive near Empire Park and I-75. When officers arrived, they found the child in critical condition and suffering from a gunshot wound to his chest.

Officers applied a chest seal to treat the wound before the boy was taken in a patrol vehicle to Grady Memorial Hospital. Police have not released the name of the child, who underwent surgery and is said to be stable.

“Preliminary investigation suggests this was a targeted shooting related to an escalating dispute between two parties,” police said in a statement.

Police have not provided additional details about what led to the incident, or if the child was the intended target.

An investigation into the shooting is ongoing.