A man shot and killed in his car was a Morehouse College student, the school’s president said Friday.
Joseph Gibbs, 23, of Atlanta was shot Thursday night near the intersection of Parsons and Webster streets, according to police. A passenger, whose name was not released, was shot in the hand and was in stable condition at Grady Memorial Hospital, police said.
Investigators believe the two men were targeted by their assailant.
“This was not a random incident,” Atlanta police spokeswoman Kim Jones said.
Officers found Gibbs slumped dead behind the wheel of a vehicle that had crashed not far from the Atlanta University Center. He had been shot multiple times.
Witnesses told police it appeared a third occupant jumped out of the car and and fled on foot. It’s unclear whether he sustained any significant injuries, Jones said.
Morehouse President John Wilson notified the campus about the death in a message posted on the college’s website.
“Under any circumstance, the loss of a young life is difficult to accept,” Wilson said in the message. “But tragedies such as this demand that more be done to ensure the safety of our students.”
Police are saying little about the suspect, who fired into the victim’s vehicle before speeding away in a separate car. Additional details are being withheld to protect the “integrity of the investigation,” Jones said.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 404-577-8477.
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