A 36-year-old College Park man was shot to death early Sunday morning outside a Shell gas station near the intersection of Whitehall and McDaniel streets near downtown Atlanta.

William Respress Jr. was outside the gas station arguing with a small group of people when a car carrying four men pulled up, according to a statement from the Atlanta Police Department. One of the men in the quartet allegedly pulled a gun and shot Respress multiple times in the torso. Another person, who’d been arguing with Respress was grazed across his abdomen by one of the bullets. His injuries were not life threatening.

The men sped away from the scene in a compact silver-gray car. Respress died on the scene, just outside the station’s front doors. Police have not released a description of the suspects or a more specific description of the car they were riding in.

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Joe Rich had moved to 3935 Paces Manor 2.5 year ago. on Tuesday, Sept. 22,2009, he was trapped at his house with no way out - but a boat. He has been ferrying various things back and forth and is surprised he still has power. Vinings residents were dealing with a major flooding issue Tuesday, as the Chattahoochee River made its way along the banks near Paces Ferry Road.  Many residents with upscale homes were hit hard, some for the second time since an earlier post millennia flooding episode. Since early Monday, seven lives have been taken and several other people remain missing. The record-setting rains also have closed schools and roads and have left people stranded in their homes. The river's level near Vinings was at 27.36 feet before daybreak Tuesday after cresting at 28.1 feet overnight. Flood stage is 14 feet, and anything above 20 feet is considered "major" flooding. (Photo: John Spink, jspink@ajc.com)

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Former CDC employee Barbara Marston (right) protests the recent firings and budget cuts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta on Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (Ben Hendren for the AJC)

Credit: Ben Hendren