19 detained in investigation at South Fulton home after shots fired

A call about shots being fired led to 19 people being detained at a home in South Fulton on Thursday.

Credit: John Spink / John.Spink@ajc.com

Credit: John Spink / John.Spink@ajc.com

A call about shots being fired led to 19 people being detained at a home in South Fulton on Thursday.

Nineteen people were detained after a call about shots being fired at a South Fulton home expedited an investigation Thursday morning, authorities said.

South Fulton police responded around 8:30 a.m. to the 911 call at the residence on Orly Terrace near College Park. When officers arrived, they saw gunshots being fired in the backyard, police Chief Keith Meadows told reporters during a news conference.

After establishing a perimeter, Meadows said they discovered several previous complaints had been issued against the residence regarding alleged illegal activity.

“We’ve had complaints about possibly sex trafficking, and so, we have not ruled that out as a possibility for this particular location being involved in that type of activity,” he added.

Nearly two dozen people were detained Thursday at a home in South Fulton, police said.

Credit: John Spink / John.Spink@ajc.com

icon to expand image

Credit: John Spink / John.Spink@ajc.com

Meadows said 19 people were being questioned, including two who had active warrants for unrelated charges. Police said they are mostly women between the ages of 16 to 40. Nearly all of the people detained did not live in the home.

“Once they are interviewed, we will try to make contact with the parents, and see about them getting picked up,” police spokeswoman Ebony Bullock told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Bullock said investigators had looked into the home “extensively” due to the previous complaints, which described it as being a “party house” with teenagers involved. A “sex party” had been advertised for this weekend at the residence, which is leased by one person, Meadows said.

No one has been charged, police said.

“Many of the residents out here have extended their gratitude to the police department,” the chief added. “Apparently this has been a problem (for residents) for quite some time.”

Thursday was the first time anyone was at the home when police responded, Bullock said. At least one gun was confiscated, she added.

— Please return to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for updates.