Atlanta police are investigating two unrelated gunshot homicides that occurred in and near downtown Monday afternoon.
In the first, shortly after noon a man was shot in the head while pumping gas on Northside Drive, in what police say was not a random shooting. In the second, in late afternoon, a man was killed when he was shot outside Underground Atlanta after a fight that began inside the mall escalated into gunshots outside.
Shortly before 4 p.m., officers were called to Alabama Street, where they found a man, believed to be in his early 20s, who had been shot multiple times, Capt. Paul Guerrucci with Atlanta police said. The man, whose name was not released, was transported to Grady Memorial Hospital, where he died, Guerrucci said.
No arrests had been made Monday evening, but investigators were questioning one person, as well as talking to numerous witnesses, Guerrucci said. The area near Underground known for hosting the New Year’s Eve “peach drop” was circled with yellow crime tape during the hours after the shooting.
“At this point, we have not established a motive,” Guerrucci said.
Police plan to review footage from surveillance cameras in the area for additional information.
Lakita Evans, of Decatur, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution she saw a physical fight between two men before hearing five gunshots. Then, she saw the victim fall.
“He collapsed coming up the stairs trying to leave,” Evans said.
Earlier Monday a man pumping gas at a Chevron station and Subway sandwich shop at the corner of Northside Drive and Markham Street was killed when a gunman walked up and fired at least one shot to his head, police said.
The man’s name was not immediately available.
Police investigators don’t believe the shooting was random, but are still trying to determine a motive, Guerrucci said.
“It appears he was targeted for one reason or another,” Guerrucci said. “But there were other people around.”
No description of the suspect was immediately available.
Staff writers Mike Morris and Angel K. Brooks contributed to this report.