Authorities said that one person was murdered and at least five people were injured after an argument escalated into gunfire in a busy retail and entertainment center in Atlanta on Saturday evening.
The incident occurred at 8 p.m. local time on a street near Atlantic Station, Atlanta police lieutenant Germain Dearlove said during a Saturday night press conference. Several neighboring roads were sealed off, as seen by surveillance footage from the area.
According to Dearlove, one male victim was confirmed dead at the site, while five others were transferred to local hospitals with unknown injuries. All six victims were thought to have been between the ages of 15 and 21. No names were released immediately.
Prior to the incident, security had taken a “big group” of minors from Atlantic Station premises for “disorderly conduct and also curfew breaches,” according to Dearlove.
This group subsequently met on the 17th Street bridge, where a quarrel developed into gunshots.
Dearlove stated that the circumstances surrounding the incident remained unknown. No arrests have been made.
“It might be between two groups, with one firing at the other, so there could be two shooters,” added Dearlove.
Atlantic Station is a bustling commercial district including several businesses and eateries. A few kilometers to the north of downtown Atlanta.
»One dead and five wounded in a shooting near a major retail zone in Atlanta«