As NRA meets in Atlanta, gun violence continues across Georgia
With 80,000 firearms enthusiasts in town for the National Rifle Association's annual meeting, Atlanta may be the most heavily armed city in the nation this week.
It’s probably safe to say most of those 80,000 NRA members have never used their weapons for illegal purposes. The same cannot be said for every gun owner.
In the 72 hours before the NRA meeting opened, at least seven people were shot to death in Georgia and another four were wounded, including a deputy sheriff from Banks County. Those shootings were compiled by the Gun Violence Archive, which collects media and police reports around the country.
Here’s a look at three days of gun violence in Georgia:
Monday
- Three people were shot to death in Savannah in an incident police attributed to gang violence. One of the victims, 18-year-old Shayla Curtis, was the mother of two. Also killed were William Mullins, 24, and Courtney German, 31. Police charged Keith Lamont Marrow Jr., 27, with three counts of murder. Authorities did not elaborate on the gang connection. But community leaders said the shootings reflect a larger problem. "I think we have to be outraged by all the crimes that happen in Savannah," Richard Shinhoster, of the NAACP's Savannah chapter, told WSAV-TV. "We must invest in our people. How do we ensure that our people have healthcare, education and employment?"
- An intruder shot a man in the stomach during a home invasion in Macon.
- A shooting in Moultrie left one person injured. The victim, according to news reports, had served time in prison for shooting a man himself, and is currently charged in another shooting.
Tuesday
- In the Lizella community of Bibb County, sheriff's deputies shot and killed Gavin Williams, 27, after he barricaded himself in a home. Authorities say Williams had beaten and stabbed two elderly neighbors; one of them, Vivian Hughes, 70, died from knife wounds.
- Two 20-year-old men were found shot to death in Chosewood Park in southeast Atlanta. The Fulton County Medical Examiner's office identified the victims as Kerry Barber of Union City and Marquis Horton of Atlanta.
- One person was shot and wounded in Savannah.
Wednesday
- In Augusta, 45-year-old Carl Trimble was found inside a car, dead of a gunshot wound. Witnesses told police someone fired shots at the car as it passed by.
- Police were searching for the man who shot a Banks County deputy sheriff at an outlet mall in Commerce. The shooter is suspected to be the same person who committed an armed robbery at the Atlanta Dragway on Wednesday. The deputy was shot when he located a car stolen by the robbery suspect.
In addition, a man was wounded in Albany by a spent shell ejected from a firearm he fired; it was the third shooting incident in that southwest Georgia city in a week. And in Cartersville, an 18-year-old man was arrested after firing his shotgun into the air during an argument.
About the Author
Alan Judd is a former investigative reporter for the AJC. He has written about persistently dangerous apartment complexes in metro Atlanta, juvenile justice, child welfare, sexual abuse by physicians, patient deaths in state psychiatric hospitals, and other topics.
