Three men were killed Tuesday night in two separate shootings two miles apart on a busy southwest Atlanta road.
Atlanta police do not believe the shootings on Campbellton Road are related, spokesman Officer Steve Avery said. They occurred within the span of two hours Tuesday at locations on either side of I-285.
The first was reported about 9:30 p.m. at the Life at Greenbriar apartments in the 2900 block of Campbellton Road. Officers responded to find two men with multiple gunshot wounds.
One of the men was dead at the scene, Avery said. The other was taken to a hospital and was stable Tuesday night.
“The preliminary investigation indicated that the two men exchanged gunfire with each other resulting in the death of one and the wounding of the second,” he said in a statement. “Homicide investigators are working to determine the circumstances that led to the incident and charges may be forthcoming.”
The slain man was later identified by the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office as 20-year-old Damion Oliver.
At 11 p.m., police were called east across I-285 to investigate the second shooting in the 3700 block. The area is home to tire and auto repair shops.
Two men were found lying in a parking lot with multiple gunshot wounds and were pronounced dead at the scene, according to police. They were identified as Andre Majors, 29, and Hermon Gibbs, 32.
Avery said investigators have not been able to connect the shootings to a particular business. They are still working to determine the circumstances surrounding the deadly incident.
The two cases bring Atlanta’s homicide count to 140, the most since 148 killings in 2003. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has said the rise in crime is concerning but follows similar trends in other major cities across the country.
New data released Tuesday by the National Commission on COVID-19 and Criminal Justice shows homicide rates are on the rise in 21 cities, including Atlanta. According to a study by the commission, violent crimes rose sharply in late May and June and remain elevated over 2019 levels.
While they have fallen from their summertime peaks, research shows homicide rates have increased 34% in September and October compared to the same two-month period last year.
