9-year-old child is sole witness to Atlanta shooting

Georgia law enforcement is investigating a shooting in Atlanta in which the only witness was a child, according to local media.

The shooting, which happened Thursday evening on Bent Creek Way in south Atlanta, left one person with multiple gunshot wounds after two men were seen arguing inside an apartment. Atlanta police said the only witness to the crime was a 9-year-old child, WSBTV reported.

According to WSBTV, APD said the argument escalated into a fight around 11:01 p.m., during which a man was shot multiple times, before the assailant fled. Atlanta police are reportedly still looking for him.

The shooting victim was transported to Grady Memorial Hospital in an ambulance and is said to be in stable condition. Police told local media he needed surgery.

News week contacted APD for comment outside of normal business hours.

The shooting comes after a similar event at the Peachtree Center food court, where four people were shot before Atlanta police arrived.

Gun violence remains a significant problem in Atlanta. In 2023, Atlanta's violent crime rate was 1,092 per 100,000 residents, which was significantly higher than the national average of 398 per 100,000 residents.

Gun restriction laws are weaker in Georgia than in most other states, with gun safety activists Everytown ranking it 46th in the United States for strength of gun laws fire. The state has a “shoot first” law, which allows the killing of another person in a public place if they pose a serious threat, even if the opportunity to safely move away is available.

In Georgia, an average of 1,927 people die from guns each year, making it the 15th U.S. state with the highest gun death rate. 45 percent of these deaths are homicides, while 52 percent are suicides. Between 2013 and 2022, the rate of firearm deaths in the state increased by 56%.

Much of this violence is felt by the state's child population, with guns being the leading cause of death among children and adolescents in Georgia. On average, 205 children die each year from firearms, 28 percent by suicide and 66 percent by homicide. This is roughly the same distribution for children in the United States, where 63 percent of child gun deaths are due to violence.

Gun violence costs the state $23.9 billion annually, the equivalent of just over $2,200 per person. More than half a billion if paid directly by taxpayers.

Do you have a story we should cover? Do you have questions about gun violence in your area? Contact [email protected].