Atlanta police said Friday that three teenagers were shot in Midtown Thursday night, apparently when two groups got into a fight possibly after leaving the Screen on the Green summer movies series in Piedmont Park.
The incident did not occur at the Screen on the Green event or Piedmont Park, APD spokesman Carlos Campos said.
Campos said officers initially responded to a "person shot" call shortly before 11 p.m. at Crescent Avenue and 10th Street.
"Upon arrival, they found an 18-year-old victim with a gunshot wound to his lower left leg," Campos said. "He was transported to Atlanta Medical Center."
Campos said a second victim, a 17-year-old male, later showed up at Southern Regional Hospital with a gunshot wound to his upper right leg.
"A third victim, age 16, showed up later at Grady Memorial Hospital with a gunshot wound to the right leg below the knee," Campos said. "All three victims were listed in stable condition."
Police arrested 18-year-old Christopher Thornton and charged him with one count of aggravated assault. He had a handgun in his possession, Campos said.
The investigation is continuing, APD spokeswoman Kim Jones said.
"Preliminary investigation determined that witnesses reported two groups ... fighting with each other at the intersection of Peachtree and 10th streets after leaving the Screen on the Green event," Campos said Friday. "We have not been able to corroborate accounts of whether participants in the incident attended the event, however."
A spokeswoman for the Piedmont Park Conservancy said that the organization, which oversees the park, would have no comment until they received more information from police.
Midtown residents living near the park, however, are commenting on the incident and the movie series.
"We are trying to get the word out to cancel Screen on the Green or at least rebrand it as another event on another night," said Jeff Burns, who lives on 14th Street. "It causes so many issues and every Thursday, people huddle inside to avoid the park."
"I am never a cut and run person, but this is just too much for such an amazing and vibrant neighborhood," Burns told the AJC in an e-mail.
Another resident, Jaimye Bartak, disagreed with that view, saying, "we can't cower in our condos and cancel all the fun events just because there exists a potential for crime."
"Maybe there needs to be more security, but not all Midtown residents want to see Screen on the Green go," Bartak said.
Campos noted in his statement that the police presence at Screen on the Green has been increased this year.
Last June, a melee broke out during a showing of “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen,” when a larger-than-expected crowd estimated at 10,000 overwhelmed a security team of 23 off-duty police officers.
The event’s sponsor, Peachtree TV, changed ownership earlier this year and at the last minute, four other corporate sponsors came forward to continue the series.
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