Two people were killed in a spate of six separate shootings that sent police to crime scenes all across Atlanta on Wednesday morning.
The scenes included Atlantic Station on the Westside, a downtown MARTA station and a gas station in Midtown. Deadly shootings were reported near parks downtown and in southeast Atlanta’s Thomasville Heights neighborhood.
The shootings come during one of the hottest weeks so far this summer, which is typically accompanied by a spike in crime. Atlanta police officials have announced plans to increase patrols and add bicycle and mounted units as part of their “Summer Safety Plan.”
From the scene of one shooting Wednesday, night commander Capt. Christian Hunt said officers were still in the fight.
“We encourage people to put the guns down,” Hunt told Channel 2. “We want you to work on better conflict resolution situations.”
The first incident was reported at about 9:40 p.m. Tuesday near Thomasville Park, which borders the blighted Forest Cove Apartment complex along Thomasville Boulevard. Police found a man shot and lying on the ground, and he was later pronounced dead at a hospital. His name was not released.
Shortly before 11:30 p.m., two people were shot on a train at the Peachtree Center MARTA station. The victims’ injuries are not considered life-threatening, according to a MARTA official. A weapon was recovered by MARTA police, but two suspects remained at large Wednesday.
Atlanta police were then called to the scene of a third shooting just before midnight in the Atlantic Station area, where one person was shot multiple times on 17th Street. He was taken by friends to Grady Memorial Hospital. The man told officers he was with his friends when someone started shooting in the area, and he was wounded. He was stable Wednesday.
The fourth incident took police to a BP gas station on Ponce de Leon Avenue in Midtown. Officers found another shooting victim with multiple wounds inside the business and he was rushed to a hospital shortly after 1 a.m. Witnesses said they heard several gunshots and then saw the wounded man walk into the store, according to police. He was said to be in critical condition.
About a mile south, Georgia State University police working in the area of Woodruff Park said they heard several gunshots and found a man with a gunshot wound around 2:15 a.m. He was taken to a hospital, where he died. His name was not released.
University police officers detained a suspicious person, identified as 34-year-old Michael Lee, nearby. He was later arrested by Atlanta police on charges of murder, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
A sixth overnight shooting was reported in the area of Windsor and Fulton streets in Mechanicsville around 3:20 a.m. Police were told a woman was shot multiple times while stopped at an intersection on Ralph D. Abernathy Boulevard. She said two unknown men approached her car and opened fire, according to police. She drove to a nearby gas station to call for help, where police roped off the woman’s vehicle with crime scene tape Wednesday morning. The victim was said to be stable Wednesday.
Credit: John Spink / John.Spink@ajc.com
Credit: John Spink / John.Spink@ajc.com
None of the shootings were believed to be related, and all remain under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to come forward.
Tipsters can remain anonymous, and be eligible for rewards of up to $2,000, by contacting Crime Stoppers Atlanta at 404-577-8477, texting information to 274637 or visiting the Crime Stoppers website.
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