A man was found shot to death in the parking lot of a shopping center near Gwinnett Place Mall on Wednesday afternoon, the second person found dead in the area near Duluth in a little over 12 hours, according to police.
Just before 1 p.m., someone called police after seeing gunfire at the Mall Corners Shopping Center in the 2100 block of Pleasant Hill Road. Dozens of stores occupy the center, which sits on the west side of Pleasant Hill and just north of I-85.
Credit: Gwinnett County Police Department
Credit: Gwinnett County Police Department
At the scene, officers found the victim in the driver’s seat of a blue Chevrolet pickup truck between the Furniture Mall of Georgia and K&G Fashion Superstore. He was later identified as Darius Devon Dugger, 46, of Lawrenceville.
After getting the description of another vehicle believed to be involved in the shooting, officers located the driver, who was detained near Dunwoody Club Drive in unincorporated Atlanta. They were identified as a person of interest, police said, and a motive is still under investigation.
The scene was a quarter-mile from where a body was found inside the trunk of a silver Jaguar sedan at a popular bathhouse and spa parking lot Tuesday night.
“There appears to be no connection between this homicide and (Tuesday) night’s person dead call nearby,” police spokesperson Michele Pihera told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Tuesday’s 911 call came in shortly before 11 p.m. to report a possible body inside a vehicle at the Gwinnett Place Drive plaza, home to multiple eateries and anchored by Jeju Sauna, a popular 24-hour Korean bathhouse, police said.
Details are still being gathered about the two incidents, according to authorities.
Anyone with information is asked to contact detectives at 770-513-5300. Tipsters can remain anonymous, and be eligible for a cash reward, by contacting Crime Stoppers Atlanta at 404-577-8477, texting information to 274637 or visiting the Crime Stoppers website.
— Please return to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for updates.
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