At least three people, including a teenage boy, were shot by celebratory gunfire as thousands packed Atlanta for New Year’s festivities over the weekend, authorities said.
Atlanta police said two victims were injured within a quarter-mile of the Peach Drop event at Underground Atlanta, which returned after a four-year hiatus. A 17-year-old boy was grazed by a bullet at around 12:20 a.m. Sunday in the area of Peachtree Street and Wall Street, police said. About 30 minutes later, police said a man was shot in the area of 74 Alabama Street. The two locations are within a block of the Peach Drop.
Both victims were described as stable and taken to hospitals. They are believed to have been struck by celebratory gunfire that came from other locations that were not disclosed by police.
The third person was shot around 1:30 a.m. in the 2300 block of Hill Street, police said. The victim and several other people were outside firing guns in the air when someone accidentally shot the victim, according to authorities.
The victim was taken to a hospital in a private vehicle. Police said the victim declined to pursue prosecution due to it being accidental.
Police had warned against celebratory gunfire during the New Year’s festivities. The department also said it was increasing security measures, which included banning guns and utilizing air and drone units.
“No. 1, it’s illegal and it’s extremely dangerous,” police Maj. Gary Harper said during a public safety briefing Thursday. “Often the people who are affected by the celebratory gunfire have nothing to do with the event at all. Bullets just travel where they’re gonna go.”
Police did not say if they had identified the origin of the first two shootings.
— Staff writer Alexis Stevens contributed to this article.
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