A 19-year-old woman has died, more than a week after four people, including two students, were shot near the Georgia State University campus in downtown Atlanta, authorities said Monday.
The Oct. 29 gunfire erupted around 5 a.m. at the intersection of John Wesley Dobbs Avenue and Courtland Street, according to university officials. At the scene, officers found the teenager, who was not a student, with a gunshot wound.
She was taken to the hospital in critical condition but died Sunday. The woman was identified as De’Asia Hart by the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office. She leaves behind a 1-year-old daughter, according to Channel 2 Action News.
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Authorities said two other women and a man, who each had non-life-threatening injuries, took themselves to the hospital before officers arrived. The two students were not publicly identified.
The incident happened as a large crowd was situated in the 100 block of John Wesley Dobbs, according to police. GSU President M. Brian Blake said the four people were shot following a nearby altercation in which “non-GSU individuals” exchanged gunfire.
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Police acquired surveillance footage detailing the moments before the shooting and have been trying to identify three people who are considered persons of interests, homicide commander Lt. Germain Dearlove said Thursday. Those sought have not been charged.
Police said surveillance footage showed that two groups exchanged words at 5:02 a.m. The incident unfolded quickly, lead investigator Rashard Clanton said, and by 5:06 a.m., the footage depicts a person wearing a purple hoodie walking with a firearm. A minute later, Clanton said shots rang out and the four victims were injured in the crossfire.
Two people seen running from the scene are also considered persons of interest and they may have fired back at the initial shooter, who is believed to be the person in the purple hoodie, Clanton said. Immediately after the shooting, police said footage showed the man in purple discarding his weapon and changing his clothes before fleeing.
“The male in the purple hoodie is believed to have a tattoo on his face,” police said Monday. “Detectives are hopeful someone will recognize the individuals in the surveillance footage and provide that information to them.”
Credit: TNS
Credit: TNS
The incident happened less than 500 feet from a RaceTrac gas station on Piedmont Avenue, where a student was shot and killed last year. Joshua Igbinijesu, 24, died at the hospital and police determined it was a “targeted incident,” officials said at the time.
— Please return to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for updates.
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