Officers patrolling a southwest Atlanta neighborhood discovered a man’s body Saturday morning after hearing several gunshots, police said.
The victim was found on the ground in the 3500 block of Valeland Avenue near Campbellton Road about 7:30 a.m., Atlanta police spokesman Officer Steve Avery said. He was pronounced dead at the scene and later identified as Ronald Barner, 58, of Atlanta.
Saturday’s shooting marks the 24th homicide Atlanta police have investigated this year and comes on the heels of two consecutive violent weekends across the city. Last year, 157 people were killed in Atlanta, the most in more than two decades. The number of reported shootings in 2021 is up about 32% from this time last year while the number of aggravated assaults is up 47%, according to the latest available crime data.
Authorities have not determined what led to the shooting. His body was discovered outside a home that is under construction, Channel 2 Action News reported. One neighbor told the news station he was lying on his couch early Saturday when he heard about 10 gunshots.
There was a large police presence in the neighborhood as homicide detectives canvassed the area in search of possible witnesses, the news station reported. So far, investigators have not identified any suspects.
The incident occurred about an hour after police in Gwinnett County said a 20-year-old was killed and a 16-year-old was injured during a double shooting in a Loganville-area neighborhood. That case also remains under investigation.
— Please return to AJC.com for updates.
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