A crowd of teenagers and young adults scattered when gunshots rang out at a Marietta apartment complex last month.
When the dust settled, a 17-year-old boy was dead, marking the city’s second homicide of 2022, according to officials.
Now detectives are asking for the public’s help to track down potential witnesses who were at the scene.
Grayson Green was killed in the May 21 shooting at the Walton Village apartments in the 1600 block of Roberta Drive. Marietta police said a large group was gathered at the apartment complex in the heart of Cobb County near Dobbins Air Reserve Base.
On Friday, police released surveillance footage from a nearby parking lot and a snippet from one of the responding officers’ body camera videos.
The surveillance video shows about 20 people running to the complex’s overflow parking lot moments after the shots were fired. They piled into five vehicles, which could be seen speeding out of the lot moments later.
Police said when they arrived, they saw a “large number of teenagers and young adults” fleeing the area. They found Green lying on the pavement near the complex’s gated entrance with a gunshot wound to the chest.
One woman could be heard on the officer’s bodycam video yelling, “Goodness gracious, he’s just a baby” as a group of people gathered around the victim.
The teen was taken to Wellstar Kennestone Hospital, where he died, according to a news release.
Credit: Marietta Police Department
Credit: Marietta Police Department
Investigators said the large gathering started at an Airbnb outside the Marietta city limits and shifted to the Walton Village apartments after the Airbnb homeowner shut the party down.
Witnesses told police some of the partygoers used social media to spread the word that the festivities were relocating. Police said the late-night party was not sanctioned at the apartment complex.
Officers worked to treat Green at the scene and could not question many witnesses who fled the premises.
“We know that a very large number of teens and young adults were present, and that numerous people witnessed the shooting,” department officials urged in Friday’s release. “We are calling on parents to talk with their children and anyone that was there and/or has information regarding the shooting death of Grayson Green to please have the courage to reach out to us.”
Crime Stoppers of Atlanta has offered a $2,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the shooter. The Walton Village and Walton Communities have matched that reward.
“As a father, I cannot imagine the pain this young man’s family and friends are going through and hope you will join me in keeping them in your prayers,” Marietta’s interim police chief, Marty Ferrell, said. “Candidly, we need the public’s help. Residents and business owners, you have trusted us in the past and helped us solve countless crimes. We are reaching out to you now to help bring justice for this senseless murder.”
Anyone with information is asked to call the Marietta Police Department’s tip line at 770-794-6990 or contact detectives Megan Haas or Chris Lindsey directly at 770-794-5477 or 770-794-5469, respectively. Tipsters can remain anonymous, and be eligible for the reward of up to $4,000, by contacting Crime Stoppers Atlanta at 404-577-8477, texting information to 274637 or visiting the Crime Stoppers website.
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