A 17-year-old was shot multiple times while breaking into cars early Tuesday in northwest Atlanta, police said.

According to investigators, gunfire was exchanged about 12:45 a.m. when two men confronted a group of people breaking into vehicles in the 1400 block of Northside Drive. When officers arrived, they found Nathan Lamar Brown with gunshot wounds, Atlanta police spokesman Officer Anthony Grant said.

“When the suspects were discovered, someone in their group fired several shots at the victims,” Grant said. “One of the victims returned fire and struck Brown.”

The suspects who were with the teen ran from the scene before officers arrived, witnesses told police.

Brown was taken to the hospital and is expected to survive. Once he is released, he will be booked into the Fulton County Jail on charges of entering auto and criminal damage to property, police said.

Investigators are still working to identify additional suspects in the case.

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