ATLANTA - Atlanta police are searching for a man, they said, could be responsible for two violent crimes on the city’s southwest side.
The first shooting happened just before 1 a.m. on Friday at a gas station at Oak and Lee Street near the West End Mall.
Atlanta Police Night Commander Reginald Moorman said a man got into a verbal altercation with a group of men and then opened fire as he was leaving the gas station, shooting their vehicle at least twice. The victims told police they did return fire but didn’t know if they hit the suspect.
Police said about 15 minutes later, and only 2 miles away on Hamilton Road, another victim was robbed and shot by a man with a similar description.
Moorman said the victim was walking to the MARTA Station when he was approached from behind by the suspect. He told police the suspect produced a gun and told the victim to run.
The suspect took the victim’s phone and then shot him.
“This is very disturbing,” Commander Moorman said. “This is a brazen act of violence.”
Police said both sets of victims described the suspect as a black man with locks who go into a dark maroon-colored vehicle on the passenger side. The first victims said they saw a woman driving the vehicle, but the second victim said he couldn’t see who was driving but did confirm the suspect got out from the passenger side.
Police are working to determine if the two shootings are connected.
No one was seriously injured in either shooting, but police are asking the public for any information.
