On Monday afternoon, Atlanta police brass stood outside department headquarters and pleaded, once again, with members of the public to stop killing each other. Before the day was over, another man lay dead in the street.
The shooting Monday night at a northwest Atlanta gas station is the city’s 104th homicide this year. Atlanta did not eclipse 100 homicides until October last year, the deadliest year for the city in more than two decades.
According to police, the latest victim was lying on a sidewalk along Perry Boulevard with multiple gunshot wounds when officers responded about 11:30 p.m. Investigators determined the man was shot outside the nearby Circle K on Hollywood Road and ran out into the street before collapsing, officers at the scene told Channel 2 Action News.
The victim was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. He was identified by the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office as 60-year-old Frederick Mayson of La Fayette, Illinois.
“It looked like this was a physical fight that escalated to gunfire,” police Lt. Daniel Genson told Channel 2 from the scene.
Three brothers were arrested in the case Tuesday night. Bobby Yancey, 62, Gerry Yancey, 57, and Gregory Yancey, 55, are each facing a charge of murder. The youngest Yancey is also facing additional weapons charges.
In 2020, the Atlanta Police Department investigated 157 homicides, up from 99 in 2019. By June of this year, APD reported nearly a 60% increase in homicide cases. That pace has slowed, but the 2021 homicide count is ahead of last year when the 100th homicide was recorded on Oct. 1, 2020, crime data shows.
Atlanta police addressed the rise in violence at an earlier news conference, repeating prior pleas to practice better conflict resolution. Only about 20% of the department’s homicides involve strangers, and 90% involve handguns, according to Deputy Chief Charles Hampton, who called the violence senseless.
“We are just asking people to put the guns down and let’s just talk,” he said. “Let’s just communicate. Let’s just be the decent human beings that we know we can be.”
Hampton also urged the public to cooperate with investigators and help them solve their mounting homicide cases. He asked anyone with information to “do the right thing” by contacting Crime Stoppers Atlanta. Tipsters can remain anonymous, and be eligible for rewards of up to $2,000, by calling 404-577-8477, texting information to 274637 or visiting the Crime Stoppers website.
About the Author
