Decatur Library shooting suspect arrested; site to reopen next week
The normally quiet Decatur Library will see increased police presence when it reopens Monday, a week after gunfire jolted locals reading and picking out books.
The man accused in the shooting that left another man injured turned himself in at the DeKalb County Jail on Wednesday, police said.
Medicus Brown, 44, is facing charges of aggravated assault with the intent to murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, according to Decatur police spokesperson Lt. John Bender. The arrest came two days after gunfire pierced the library’s silence shortly after 5 p.m. Monday.
One bystander locked herself in a study room after hearing up to five shots inside the building, according to a 911 call obtained the next day by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
“People were screaming,” the woman told the dispatcher. “Myself and a student are against the wall. I don’t know what’s happening.”
The library closed after the shooting, and DeKalb County government officials said in a news release that when it reopens next week, there will be a larger police presence, including both Decatur and DeKalb police departments. DeKalb police will also conduct a “security assessment” to review facility access, layout and safety protocols.
More than 40 people were inside the Sycamore Street facility when the two men got into a fight in an upstairs computer area, police confirmed. One of them pulled a gun and shot several rounds, Bender told the AJC outside the library late Monday night.
Brown then ran out of the building before he could be apprehended, Bender said. He turned himself in after sheriff’s deputies conducted an operation at a hotel on Memorial Drive and Rockbridge Road, where he had been staying, officials said in a news release.
The victim, whose name was not released, was rushed to Grady Memorial Hospital. He was still in critical condition Thursday, police said.
Bender said he had never seen a shooting inside the library, which “shocks the conscience when they happen.”
“Everybody should be able to go to the library or any public building for that matter, in Decatur or anywhere else, and be safe from violence like this,” he said. “What I can say is our officers did a phenomenal job in responding tonight and securing the scene and making sure that everybody was safe and getting the victim the care that he needed.”
Officers remained at the scene during the investigation and took several undisclosed items as evidence, Bender said. He said the fight stemmed from some sort of disagreement, but the details were “still up in question.”
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the individual who was injured, his family and all those affected, including our library employees and patrons who were present and are understandably shaken by this incident,” DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson said in a statement.
The library is located in the heart of the city near the Decatur Recreation Center and Decatur Square. Police confirmed there is no ongoing threat to the public.
In a statement, DeKalb Public Library Director Alison Weissinger said the safety and well-being of their “staff and patrons” remained their top priority.
“We are taking the necessary steps to support our employees and to ensure appropriate safety measures are in place as the investigation continues,” Weissinger added.
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