ATLANTA — Atlanta Police are working to find out what led up to a shooting that left a 2-year-old injured Wednesday afternoon after shots were fired into a car that he was inside of, according to officers.
It happened around 4 p.m. in the 200 block of Peters Street in southwest Atlanta.
APD Deputy Chief Charles Hampton Jr. said a father and his 2-year-old son were leaving a barbershop and then drove south on Peters Street. Hampton said a car was following them and opened fire while they were at the intersection of Peters Street and Chapel Street.
The child was struck by a bullet and is in critical but stable condition, APD said. The father then drove to Atlanta fire station 14 on Lee Street for help, according to police.
Hampton called the shooting a "targeted" incident and said this is a "very fluid" investigation.
"We still have to piece together, we have to go back to the barbershop to figure out exactly if there's anything that happened inside the barbershop," he said.
Authorities are looking for a suspect in a blue Kia.
"We know that car after the shooting continued to travel southbound onto Peters Street," Hampton said. "We're asking anyone if they have any information to call the Atlanta Police Department or they can call Crime Stoppers, where they can remain anonymous."
11Alive's Dawn White was at the scene when a truck towed the victim's car away. You can see the passenger's side of the window smashed out below.
The bare window of the victim's car reflects the feelings of a shattered community.
“It’s heartbreaking when kids are involved," a local resident said.
A local resident and advocate, who didn't want to give his name, said violence like this is unusual for this part of southwest Atlanta.
“It’s real peaceful. On this end of the block, it’s usually quiet. Everybody sticks with each other. Neighbors know business owners and so on," he said.
The community continues to deal with the toddler's shooting becoming an unintended consequence of gun violence.
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