A shootout in a northwest Atlanta parking deck early Monday killed a man and sent a father and son to a hospital, police said.
The gunfire was reported around 1 a.m. at the Berkeley Heights apartment building on Northside Drive just south of I-75. When officers arrived, they found one victim mortally wounded and two others with two gunshot wounds to their legs, according to Atlanta police Lt. Germain Dearlove.
“This incident occurred in a parking deck,” Dearlove, who commands the homicide unit, said from the scene. “We believe there was an escalating dispute between two groups of people that were in that parking deck. One group fled.”
One man, who was described as about 20 years old, was pronounced dead at Grady Memorial Hospital. His name is not being released until his family is notified.
The father, who is about 40 years old, and his son, who is also about 20, were described as stable before going into surgery, according to Dearlove.
Investigators worked through the night to collect ballistic evidence from the parking deck and speak with witnesses. Firearms were also recovered from the scene, the homicide commander said.
Credit: John Spink / John.Spink@ajc.com
Credit: John Spink / John.Spink@ajc.com
The evidence suggests the two groups were firing at each other, he said. It was not clear if any of the gunshot victims were residents of the apartment building, or if they would face charges.
The motive behind the triple shooting remains under investigation.
“At this point in time we are looking for a silver sedan witnesses stated that fled the parking deck area,” Dearlove said. No further description of the vehicle or suspects was available.
Credit: John Spink / John.Spink@ajc.com
Credit: John Spink / John.Spink@ajc.com
Anyone with information is asked to contact Atlanta police. Tipsters can remain anonymous, and be eligible for rewards of up to $2,000, by contacting Crime Stoppers Atlanta at 404-577-8477, texting information to 274637 or visiting the Crime Stoppers website.
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