Five men were arrested on assault charges after Atlanta investigators determined they severely beat a man who in turn pulled out a gun and shot one of his attackers, officials said.
Police were initially called to investigate the shooting but learned of the assault after interviewing the victim and numerous witnesses.
The investigation began when a man was rushed to a hospital about 10:50 p.m. Saturday shortly after being shot in the 400 block of Edgewood Avenue. He was alert when he was taken for treatment, police said.
Witnesses told police the gunman ran away from the scene shortly before officers arrived.
However, upon further investigation, officers found a man near the scene who “appeared to have been seriously physically assaulted,” police said.
That man told officers he had been involved in an argument with another man in a group of people. As the argument escalated, the men began to physically assault him, police said.
During the assault, the victim pulled out a gun and shot one of the attackers, investigators said.
Investigators spoke with more witnesses and with the men involved in the alleged attack. Shortly after, they arrested Leon Buie III, Leon Buie IV, Louis Williams, David Beckford and Sadek Robinson, who was identified as the man who was shot. All five are charged with aggravated battery and robbery.
The victim of the assault was taken to a hospital with multiple facial injuries, police said. He is stable.
The incident was one of two shootings Atlanta police were called to investigate in about an hour.
The first happened about 9:45 p.m. in the 200 block of Arthur Langford Jr. Place, Atlanta police said in a statement. When officers arrived, they found a man suffering from gunshot wounds. The victim was alert when he was taken to a hospital. His condition was not specified.
Officers were not able to determine what led to the shooting, police said. Investigators said the victim was uncooperative with police and “gave no further information on what occurred.”
No information on the suspect was available.
Both shootings remain under investigation.
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