Police search for thief who fired gunshot after robbing runner in East Point

The woman told Channel 2's Matt Johnson that she was in an area that's very popular with runners and fears this could have happened to anyone.

Police are searching for the man who fired a gunshot in the air after robbing a runner in East Point.

On Monday about 6:30 p.m., a woman was running along Norman Berry Drive as part of her marathon training, she told Channel 2 Action News. She spotted a man running toward her, and the next thing she knew, she was staring down the barrel of a gun.

“The individual ran across four lanes to get to me, so I thought that was a little bold,” the woman, who asked Channel 2 to remain anonymous, said. “It was very frightening. It caught me off guard.”

The man stole her phone and some cash before firing a gunshot in the air as he ran into some woods with a group of other people, the news station reported. The woman, who was training for a Thanksgiving Day marathon, ran inside the nearby WellStar Atlanta Medical Center South hospital to get help and call 911.

East Point police have opened an investigation into the case, but no suspects have been arrested. The woman was not able to get a good description of the robber, who was wearing a beanie at the time of the incident, Channel 2 reported.

She is now warning others to be more careful when jogging nearby.

“There are other runners in the area ... I’d like to let them know to be more vigilant,” she said.

Anyone with information about Monday’s robbery is asked to contact East Point police at 404-559-6226.