A man has died hours after being shot in downtown Atlanta on a busy Friday evening, police said.
The incident happened around 6:35 p.m. at the intersection of Luckie and Mills streets. The site is around the corner from the Georgia Aquarium and about a 15-minute walk from State Farm Arena, where thousands of college basketball came to watch the NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament games held Friday night.
When police responded to the scene, they said they found a 42-year-old man with an apparent gunshot wound. He was taken to a hospital in critical condition, police said late Friday. The man, whose name was not released, was from Charlotte, North Carolina.
After police initially said the man had died, homicide commander Lt. Andrew Smith said he survived and was in the hospital’s intensive care unit. He was later declared dead around 4:15 a.m., officials said.
Smith said the man shot had approached other men who were on a sidewalk and “words were exchanged” before the shooting.
No one was in custody late Friday, police said.
The shooting happened as locals and tourists flooded Atlanta, as well as surrounding areas, for the sporting events scheduled throughout the weekend. In addition to the March Madness tournament games on Friday and Sunday, Atlanta United played Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and the Savannah Bananas visited Truist Park on Saturday and Sunday.
“The Atlanta Police Department is well-versed in managing large-scale events and remains fully prepared to support the safety of both visitors and residents during this high-profile weekend,” the department said in a press release earlier in the day.
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