Officials in Atlanta said on Sunday that the victims of the shooting on Saturday night near the popular Atlanta shopping destination ‘Atlantic Station’, which left one dead and five injured, were all minors — including the deceased, a 12-year-old. Gunfire erupting on an adjacent freeway overpass of the Downtown Connector, near 17th Street.
Mayor Andre Dickens confirmed the victims’ ages at a news conference, saying that some of the victims were Atlanta Public School students. Dickens said one of the injured victims was in critical condition, adding: “When a 12-year-old dies in our city — on our city streets … the whole village has a responsibility, and the whole village is impacted.”
Officer Anthony Grant, a representative for the Atlanta Police Department, confirmed that all victims involved in the shooting were minors. The shooting took place on one of the busiest shopping weekends of the year near the outdoor Atlantic Station mall, after off-duty police and mall personnel escorted the teens off the property for unruly behavior and violations of a curfew set by the shopping center. There was no information immediately available on a possible suspect, Grant said, adding that the incident is still under investigation. While the details of how the gunfire erupted are still not clear, police said there is a possibility of two shooters.
Atlantic Station has a 3 p.m. curfew for people under the age of 18. After the curfew, they need to be accompanied by an adult. Groups of four or more juveniles will be dispersed. Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact the Atlanta police at 404-577-TIPS.
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