Structure CMS™ ATLANTA, GA –On Friday, DeKalb County police responded to yet another shooting, this one happened at the Eastwyck Village Apartments just after 3:30pm.
Police are not releasing much information at this point since it is early in the investigation, but they did say that an eight-year-old child was with a 17-year-old when the shooting occurred.
The child was struck in the shoulder and the teenager was grazed by a round. The child was taken to a nearby hospital for medical treatment in what police are calling a “moderate” injury.
Teen, 8-year-old shot at DeKalb apartment complex as they walked home, police say https://t.co/N5BZKIo3S8
— Michael Seiden (@SeidenWSBTV) July 25, 2020
DeKalb County Police Captain A W Ford, according to Fox News, said:
“The eight-year-old prognosis is good. He’s expected to be released from the hospital.”
The 17-year-old boy was grazed in the leg.
DeKalb County Police have not released any type of motive for the shooting as of yet, but do not believe that the eight-year-old was the intended target.
When police were asked if the 17-year-old boy was, Capt. Ford said:
“He may have been.”
Although no arrests have been made, police have identified someone that they would like to contact and are terming him a “person of interest.” They are not releasing the name of the person’s name, which could be because they do not want the person to run or because they are awaiting information that would independently identify him or her.
The Atlanta area is no stranger to gun violence since the deaths of George Floyd and Rayshard Brooks. The latter was killed by Atlanta police last month.
Police: 8-year-old boy shot, teen grazed by bullet at DeKalb County apartment complexhttps://t.co/ijtdAvAezB
— FOX 5 Atlanta (@FOX5Atlanta) July 25, 2020
During the string of riots and violence that has occurred since, three children have been shot in July alone. At the beginning of the month, Law Enforcement Today reported on an eight-year-old who was shot and killed as she was riding in the car with her mother and a family friend.
In this case, the friend who was driving pulled into a parking lot that protesters did not want him to be in. As he tried to leave, the thugs began shooting, which left the eight-year-old dead.
Thankfully, in this case, the alleged shooter was located and arrested, however, there was little mainstream media coverage of this case. Unless you were paying close attention to what was happening in Atlanta, you would be more focused on the riots and “peaceful protests” then the death of a little girl.
Fulton County Magistrate Judge Ashley Gholamhosseini denies bond for Julian Conley, who is charged with murder & aggravated assault in the July 4th shooting death of 8-year-old Secoreia Turner @wsbradio pic.twitter.com/tf40YsO9WI
— Veronica Waters (@MissVWaters) July 16, 2020
A few days after this incident, a nine-year-old was shot after gunfire broke out in a crowd of people in East Atlanta Village, near Flat shoals Rd and Glenwood Ave around 9 pm. Police said that unknown people opened fire on another group of people and the child was struck along with two other people.
Thankfully, the child in this case survived. Police do not have any information on the suspects that they have released at this point however, area surveillance shows a dark-colored car driving south through the area before shots were fired toward the crowd. The car then fled the area.
In both of these cases, there were people who were in and around the area at the time of the shooting that saw something that could lead detectives to the person or persons responsible. Although it is not clear in this case, there are many other examples of crimes that occur in which people refuse to cooperate with law enforcement.
Whether its because they believe that it is some type of sin for “snitching,” they are in fear of retribution if they do, or they do not believe that police have their best interest at heart, it is a growing problem that law enforcement faces.
After all, unless there are witnesses or forensic evidence which points to a specific person having committed the crime, people who saw what happened are key for successful prosecutions and closure for the families of those involved.
What is clear above all else is that Atlanta, along with other large cities in the country, have a growing trend of violent crime occurring within their jurisdiction. If officers do not get cooperation from people in the community, they are effectively handcuffed and hindered in proceeding with any type of criminal investigation.
It is time that the communities in these areas stand up and express their concerns and want their rights, to live in peace, to be acknowledged by the criminals that wish to do them harm.
