Atlanta police are investigating what led to the shooting death of a man inside the Historic Old Fourth Ward Park in Northeast Atlanta, just south of Ponce City Market.
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Police responded to reports of gunshots at the park, at the end of Angier Avenue, around 4:50 Saturday morning. When officers arrived, they found a man who had suffered a gunshot wound. A police spokesperson said medical personnel performed life-saving measures, but pronounced him dead on the scene. Lt. Christapher Butler described the victim as a 42-year-old man, whose name he would not release pending notification of relatives.
“It appears to be the result of some gun violence inside the park, but we’re still working on the details, working on seeing what kind of video we can gather to try to shed some light on this situation,” Butler said.
Police located a man who Butler said was involved in the shooting and detained him for questioning. He said the two men did not know each other. Investigators are working to determine what motivated the shooting.
“It’s terrifying, and there are so many young people, families and many different walks of life that live here,” said Chris Skelley, who lives with his wife and 12-week-old daughter in a luxury apartment complex across the street.
“For it to happen right here at this park, where I walk by five times a day, and kids and families are playing,” he said. “Every Saturday morning, there’s a birthday party or two at this little park for those young kids. And to know that somebody was killed right there earlier today is just horrible.”
Despite the safe, family-friendly appearance of the area, locals say they have lately seen break-ins, car thefts, indecent exposures and heard gunshots. Alyssa Douglas, who lives in the same apartment complex, said she no longer feels comfortable walking in the area at night.
“I’d say one of the biggest reasons we love the area is because it’s so walkable, but now you can’t walk at night, which kind of takes away some of the excitement of living in the area.”
