2 students among 4 shot near Georgia State campus, officials say

Four people were injured, including two 18-year-old Georgia State University students, in a shooting near campus in downtown Atlanta early Sunday, authorities said.

The gunfire erupted around 5 a.m. at the intersection of John Wesley Dobbs Avenue and Courtland Street, near where another student was fatally shot in December, according to university officials.

At the scene, officers found a woman with a gunshot wound, who was taken to the hospital in critical condition. Police said two other women and a man took themselves to the hospital before officers arrived. They had non-life-threatening injuries.

“We were deeply saddened to learn early this morning of a shooting near campus that impacted two Georgia State students,” university President M. Brian Blake wrote in a statement. “I communicated with the mayor this morning in addition to our campus leadership, and we are working closely with the Atlanta Police Department as they conduct their investigation.”

According to police, the incident happened as a large crowd was situated in the 100 block of John Wesley Dobbs. Blake said the four people were shot following a nearby altercation in which “non-GSU individuals” exchanged gunfire.

He said officers will be increasing patrols in the area and the university will work with Atlanta police to “identify ways to make areas surrounding our campus more secure.”

“Our thoughts and prayers are with those who were injured and their families,” the statement added.

The incident happened less than 500 feet from a RaceTrac gas station on Piedmont Avenue, where a student was shot and killed last year. After the gunfire, the university issued a campus-wide alert warning students to stay clear of the area. Joshua Igbinijesu, 24, died at the hospital and police determined it was a “targeted incident,” officials said.

After Sunday’s shooting, the university said a “listening session” would be held Monday at Piedmont Central residence hall with Executive Vice President Jared Abramson and Georgia State police Chief Anthony Coleman.

“We will also hold a campus-wide town hall (Monday) afternoon at 4 p.m. in the Centennial Hall auditorium to go over the operations and safety improvements we’ve made in recent months, and to hear from our community on what we can do to continue to improve our measures and support our student body,” Blake said.

The gunfire broke out just hours after two separate shootings across metro Atlanta left a 15-year-old boy dead and four other teenagers injured.

According to authorities, the 15-year-old was found suffering from several gunshot wounds outside an apartment in Spalding County. He died at the scene, Griffin police said. His name was not released.

The other four teens were found shot along a road in DeKalb County. Police said they were waiting for a MARTA bus around 11:15 p.m. when another group of teenagers opened fire from a moving vehicle. The groups were involved in an altercation at a nearby house party earlier that evening, police said.