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Store owner shooting the tip of the crime iceberg in neighborhood

Police continue to search for two men who shot the owner of Donnelly Food Store in an attempted robbery Monday night--but this isn't the first time the area has seen crime, especially assault and theft. 

 

ATLANTA – Police continue to search for two men who shot the owner of Donnelly Food Store in an attempted robbery Monday night--but this isn't the first time the area has seen crime, especially assault and theft.

While this is the first time that store owner Chun Yim said that he's experienced an attempted robbery, there have been 123 crimes reported to the Atlanta Police Department between Jan. 1 through Feb. 12, 2017, in a one-mile radius. Crimes ranged from aggravated assault, rape, larceny from a vehicle, robbery of a pedestrian, auto theft and burglary at a residence.

The area includes neighborhoods: West End, Oakland City, Ashview Heights, Mozley Park, Casade Avenue, Venetian Hills, Harris Chiles and Westview.

According to police, the Donnelly Food Store owner was shot in the chest at the southwest Atlanta store located at 1294 Donnelly Ave., SW. Yim was transported to Grady Memorial Hospital where he is currently in critical condition.

In a press conference Tuesday afternoon, police presented the store’s surveillance video, as well as a description of the alleged assailants.

Watch the surveillance video

The suspects are described as black males, one wearing a red hoodie with white writing and gray pants. The other suspect was wearing a maroon hoodie with camouflage shorts, a black book bag, black hat, black shoes and white and maroon Nike gloves. Both were wearing skull masks.

As seen in the surveillance video, the two suspects, one armed with a .45-caliber handgun, entered the store at 8:39 p.m. With his gun out, the suspect pointed it at one clerk and told him not to move, while the other suspect jumped over the counter, and ordered the cashier behind the register to open it. Once open, the suspect grabbed an unknown amount of cash.

The armed suspect doubled back and fired his gun at the owner, penetrating a window and hitting him in the left side of his chest.

Both suspects ran out the door.

"The violence that was used in this robbery was very apparent," said Atlanta Police Sgt. Anthony Gentile. "The female clerk, she could've been shot very easily, the perpetrators don't appear to really mind -- they are waving the gun around, finger appears to be on the trigger. It could've been a lot worse; we could have had multiple people shot."

The family-owned store that opened in 1998, was re-opened for business on Tuesday. But since the assault, the owners' son and wife said they'd close early on Tuesday. The owner was shot in the chest during the robbery.

The family said the outpouring of community support has been priceless. The also said they are part of the community and the community is part of them. They have no plans on leaving.

"I've been coming here," said customer Leon Wilcox. "My daddy has been coming here. My mama has been coming here. It's a community store."

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