It was an unimaginable crime in Atlanta’s upscale shopping district, and the type of crime that seemingly could happen to anyone. A young mother shot by would-be robbers in the Lenox Square mall parking lot.
Wednesday's shooting was the second in less than two months at Lenox. It comes just days before thousands will pack the area for the Fourth of July weekend — one of the biggest security challenges of the year for local police.
The violence unfolded when young parents visiting Lenox Square were getting into their car with their toddler after 7 p.m. They were approached by two men with pistols, the father told police. The two men tried to force their way into the 2012 Audi and demanded money and mall purchases, and Harrison Roff tried to fight them off. With his young son in the backseat, Roff’s girlfriend was seated in the front passenger seat when one of the two men fired a shot, striking Jenna White in the stomach, according to police.
Roff started driving and called 911, but at the urging of the dispatcher, he pulled over into a restaurant parking lot, where police and paramedics arrived to begin the investigation and rush White to Grady Memorial Hospital, where she underwent surgery. White was recovering Thursday at the hospital, but her mother declined to discuss the shooting when contacted by a reporter. White’s friends used Facebook to post messages of encouragement.
“I’ve been praying for you Jenna White,” one person posted. “Stay strong and come home to your family and friends!”
The circumstances of the earlier shooting at Lenox were less dire.
On May 8, no one was injured when a single shot was fired during an argument between two men at the Zinbruger Wine and Burger Bar inside the mall, The AJC reported. Alexander Dimitri McDaniel was arrested hours later on multiple charges, including reckless conduct, first-degree criminal damage to property and discharge of firearms on property of another.
No arrests had been made in the most recent shooting late Thursday. Police said surveillance cameras captured the incident, but declined to release the images.
Those cameras, which are monitored by Atlanta police, are part of the ongoing security at Lenox, which is patrolled 24 hours a day, seven days a week, mall management said Thursday. For the holiday weekend, security will be increased at both Lenox Square and nearby Phipps Plaza and include vehicle checks and searches of personal belongings, the mall said.
Atlanta police Chief George Turner said Thursday his officers are prepared for the weekend's two major events: The AJC Peachtree Road Race and the evening fireworks.
And he said that preparation is helping in the investigation of Wednesday’s shooting.
“It allowed us to show our very quick response to that situation because of the resources that we have on the streets,” Turner said. “I feel confidant that with the evidence that we have, that we’re gathering, we’ll be able to identify those individuals, and we’re working to continue to bring that to closure.”
All Atlanta police officers will work 12-hour shifts for the Monday holiday and the day after, Turner said. The State Patrol, GBI, FBI, Fulton Sheriff's Office and MARTA police are among the agencies that will be assisting APD, part of a security plan that's been a year in the making, Turner said.
“We’re prepared to keep citizens and visitors safe when they attend City of Atlanta annual events,” Turner said.
Anyone with information on Wednesday’s shooting is asked to contact Crime Stoppers Atlanta at 404-577-8477.
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