A 12-year-old was killed and 5 teenagers injured in a shooting at shopping district near downtown Atlanta

By Raja Razek and Hannah Sarisohn, CNN

A 12-year-old was killed and five teenagers were injured in a shooting Saturday night after gunfire erupted near Atlanta’s Atlantic Station retail district following a dispute involving juveniles, according to city officials.

Of those who were injured, one teenager sustained critical injuries while four others were “shot or injured in some way,” Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said in a news conference Sunday. Three guns were recovered from the scene.

Atlanta police previously said the shooting took place after a “dispute occurred that escalated to gunfire.” Around 8 p.m., a “group of juveniles” were escorted off Atlantic Station property by off-duty Atlanta police officers and Atlantic Station personnel, Atlanta Police Homicide Commander Lt. Germain Dearlove said in an earlier news conference.

“They were removed for unruly behavior and also curfew violations for Atlantic Station,” Dearlove told reporters. The group moved to 17th Street where the dispute occurred and gunfire erupted, Dearlove said.

On Sunday, Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said the altercation occurred between individuals who knew each other and who had a conflict together earlier this month. Some of the individuals involved are known to police, he said, and warrants will likely be issued soon.

Police did not identify the deceased victim.

City officials Sunday touted the various measures they’ve taken to address gun violence, particularly those programs aimed at protecting Atlanta’s youth. But it’s up to parents, they said, to know where their children are at all times — many parents of the teenagers present for the shooting Saturday night did not know their children were at the retail center, Dickens said — and whether they have guns.

“All of this is necessary for us to get ahead of crime,” the mayor said.

According to the shopping district’s official website, there is a 3:00 p.m. curfew for all people under 18, at which time anyone under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian and groups of four or more juveniles “will be dispersed.”

In a statement to CNN, a spokesperson for Atlantic Station said, “Atlantic Station Security is working with APD on this matter and has indicated there is no active threat to the property. The community’s safety continues to be our top priority, and we are working closely with law enforcement during this active investigation.”

The children and teenagers involved in the shooting attended both public and charter schools in Atlanta and the surrounding areas, officials said.

Dr. Lisa Herring, Atlanta Public Schools Superintendent, said resources will continue to be available for students and families affected by gun violence. Herring also said the city’s public schools will continue to invest in “restorative” practices aimed at reducing violence.

“Atlanta is a group project,” Dickens said. “When a 12-year-old dies in our city, on our city streets, with 100-plus young people that come to this area … the whole village has a responsibility, and the whole village is impacted.”

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

CNN’s Colin Jeffery and Tina Burnside contributed to this report.