An intruder was shot and killed late Wednesday inside a Midtown Atlanta apartment after a resident came home and discovered him, officials said.
Investigators remained at the scene into Thursday afternoon at The Mark Atlanta apartments on Spring Street, which is near the Midtown MARTA station and marketed as student housing. According to Atlanta police, officers were called to the complex about 11:30 p.m. Wednesday after shots were fired.
They located a man with a gunshot wound who was pronounced dead at the scene. He was later identified by the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s office as 41-year-old William Penny.
“At this time, the incident has been classified as a death investigation and homicide investigators are working to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident,” police spokesman Sgt. Jarius Daugherty said Thursday morning.
A spokesperson for Landmark Properties said the shooting occurred after a tenant came home and found someone inside his unit.
“The resident confronted the intruder, who was shot and killed,” Kelly Gray told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, adding that no other injuries were reported. “Landmark Properties takes all acts of violence of this nature very seriously and our team is fully cooperating with local authorities in their investigation into this incident. The safety of residents and on-site staff is our primary concern and we have a zero-tolerance policy for criminal activity on our property.”
Daugherty said the shooter remained at the scene and cooperated with police. He was questioned by investigators and later released.
Landmark Properties said there are strict safety measures in place, including a third-party security team that patrols the high-rise building. In addition, Gray said the apartment’s management team conducts regular foot patrols and that residents are given key fobs that only offer elevator and stairwell access to their assigned floor and unit.
“Despite these measures, we’ve confirmed that the intruder was able to enter the stairwell and floor because they were granted access by another resident,” she said Thursday afternoon. “Landmark Properties has since revoked access of the resident who allowed the intruder to enter.”
Landmark said surveillance video from the apartment building was turned over to Atlanta police, and that investigators determined the break-in and subsequent shooting was an isolated incident.
Multiple residents have disputed the property management company’s claims about the security measures in place at the building.
The company said it is aware of the unease felt by residents following Wednesday’s shooting and said it has instructed tenants to contact the apartment’s leasing office with any security concerns.
Meanwhile, residents were urged not to hold exterior doors open for anyone and make sure the door to their unit is locked at all times, even when they’re home. Tenants were also urged to remove valuables from their cars in the parking garage and report any suspicious activity to police.
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