NEWTOWN, Conn. – One person was killed and 10 others were injured by gunfire after shots broke out in a busy nightlife area of Atlanta early Monday morning. The deceased victim is a 27-year-old male. The youngest survivor, an 18-year-old male, was critically injured.
As many as 34 bullet shell casings were found at the scene. While the motive for the attack remains unknown, police confirmed that the majority of the victims were innocent bystanders.
According to the Gun Violence Archive, Georgia has had at least 28 mass shootings, where four or more were killed or injured excluding the shooter, over the past year. Additionally, Georgia’s gun death rate increased 56% between 2013 and 2022, mainly due to gun homicides, based on most recent available finalized data from CDC.
In response to this attack, Nicole Hockley, co-founder and co-CEO of Sandy Hook Promise and mother of Dylan who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy, issued the following statement:
“One of the ugliest truths about gun violence in America is how quickly it can destroy a person’s life in the most unexpected and unprovoked of ways. Ten people in Atlanta – mostly innocent bystanders – must now endure the pain of recovering from gunshot wounds. And another young man’s life was taken, leaving his family and community in grief. We stand with the victims, as well as their loved ones, and the community of Atlanta in grieving, and in our renewed goal to end to this public health epidemic.
“A safer future is possible. A future where people no longer fear being randomly shot as they go about their lives. A future where children never know the terror of a school shooting or other violent acts in their neighborhoods. By learning the warning signs of violence, supporting policies that prohibit the misuse of firearms, and equipping our young people with the skills to peacefully resolve conflicts, together we can make this future a reality.”
For more information about actions that everyone can take to prevent gun violence, research-backed resources for school and communities, and information about ways to support life-saving state and federal policies, please visit sandyhookpromise.org.
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Sandy Hook Promise (SHP) envisions a future where all children are free from school shootings and other acts of violence. As a national nonprofit organization, SHP’s mission is to educate and empower youth and adults to prevent violence in schools, homes, and communities. Creators of the life-saving, evidence-informed “Know the Signs” prevention programs, SHP teaches the warning signs of someone who may be in crisis, socially isolated, or at-risk of hurting themselves or others and how to get help. SHP also advances school safety, youth mental health, and responsible gun ownership at the state and federal levels through nonpartisan policy and partnerships. SHP is led by several family members whose loved ones were killed in the tragic mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012.
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