An early Wednesday morning shooting investigation shut down Peachtree Road in Buckhead while police searched for both a shooter and a victim.
An off-duty officer in the area called for help shortly before 4 a.m. after he watched a man get out of a 2018 McLaren and fire shots at a white SUV, which then fled the scene. A person of interest was detained near Peachtree Avenue shortly after backup arrived, according to Atlanta police night commander Capt. Christian Hunt.
The officers found the McLaren a few blocks south, abandoned in the middle of Peachtree Road near the Cathedral of Christ the King, Hunt said.
The man detained, whose name was not released, was later arrested on charges of reckless conduct and traffic violations related to the investigation.
Several people also called 911 to report the gunfire. Lawrence Leopold, whose condo is nearby, said he was still awake when he heard what he thought was a car crash, followed by several gunshots.
“You’ll hear the cars sometimes speeding down Peachtree,” Leopold said. “Then we just heard what sounded like a crash, and then a few shots and then maybe 15 seconds later probably another eight or nine shots.”
He said several squad cars arrived within three or four minutes of his 911 call and began searching the road with flashlights. According to Hunt, several shell casings were recovered from the middle of the street, as well as two handguns.
The investigation wrapped up and the road was cleared around 6:20 a.m.
Leopold said he usually walks his dog down to Starbucks around that time each morning, and gunshots aren’t a common occurrence. For the most part, he said, the recent rise in Atlanta’s gun violence doesn’t impact his daily life.
“It just happened at the Sephora during the day, so it is getting a little closer to home,” he said. “I still don’t feel unsafe.”
A police spokesman said no victims had been located as of Wednesday afternoon. Charges could be upgraded against the alleged shooter if investigators track down the occupants of the white SUV, Officer Steve Avery said.
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