A woman was shot at least twice in the head and killed while driving in southwest Atlanta Thursday, police said.
Shanna Smith, 24, was shot near Hadlock Street and Leslie Avenue.
“All we have right now is that we noticed she was most likely behind the wheel of the vehicle when she got shot, and the vehicle kept going,” Atlanta police Maj. Adam Lee III said. “She lost control apparently and veered off the side of the road.”
Police initially thought the shooting was a fire, after receiving a call about a BMW 330I on fire in the wood-line near Leslie Avenue.
Officers instead found the woman shot behind the steering wheel of a BMW wedged between trees and shrubbery. The wheels were still spinning causing smoke, probably because her foot was pressing on the accelerator, Lee said.
The woman was taken to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
At least 25 shell casings littered the scene, and there were three different weapons used including a rifle.
It’s unclear if the woman killed was the target and if the casings are related to the shooting or an earlier incident reported in the area.
Police were canvassing the Hadlock area for witnesses just before 9 a.m.
“It’s too early to tell right now if she was a target or if she got caught in the crossfire or what the circumstances might be,” Lee said.
