ATLANTA, Ga. — A man was shot Saturday night near Georgia State University (GSU), eliciting concerns from students and residents over recent violence in the area.
Atlanta Police were dispatched to 92 Piedmont Avenue, which is the address for GSU’s Piedmont Central on-campus student housing, and located the victim around 9:56 p.m., 11 Alive reports. Police have not determined the exact location of the shooting but said the man was able to walk a short distance and flag down a GSA police officer who was inside his patrol vehicle. The victim was taken to the hospital for treatment.
A GSU representative said Sunday that the injured man approached the officer near the RaceTrac gas station across the street from campus. A man was fatally shot at the same gas station on Feb. 25, and the company announced it was closing the location due to “significant public safety issues.”
Another four people were shot, one fatally, at the gas station last October. Two of the victims were GSU students. The family of the deceased victim, 19-year-old De’Asia Hart, recently filed a lawsuit against RaceTrac and the owners of nearby GSU student apartments. An attorney for the family said RaceTrac knew of the repeated dangers at its Piedmont Avenue location and did not take proper precautions.
GSU President M. Brian Blake issued a statement after the Feb. 25 shooting, writing in part that he has been communicating with city and public safety officials about violence in Atlanta.
“We will be extending our communications with the owners of the land where the RaceTrac and other businesses are located. As the store closes, it is imperative that the lot is secured, the owners take responsibility and we remain vigilant in our efforts to continue to improve the area,” he continued. “We will be working hard to help ensure future use of that parcel is more compatible with a college campus and the experience that our students and campus community members should have.”
The school also enhanced security after the incident, adding more officer monitoring and cameras, reorienting building entrances, and providing additional staff training.
Jessica Clarke, a GSU student, told 11 Alive that she has become numb to violence in the area.
“I saw the message that they sent last night [about Saturday’s shooting] but I just ignored it because we’ve had so many messages like that. I just added it to the list,” she said, noting people still congregate near the gas station despite its closure.
GSU students previously voiced concerns about violence in the communities surrounding campus. In January, bullets hit the windows of a GSU dorm. In December, two people were shot on campus, one fatally.
Across all states, Georgia has the 11th-highest rate of gun homicides in the country, according to Everytown for Gun Safety. Of all homicides in Georgia, 80% involve a gun, compared to 74% nationally. Data also shows gun deaths in Georgia have increased by 25% in the last decade, which is 8% higher than the national average. Gun-related murders, specifically, increased by 47%.
Specific to Atlanta, in 2022, for the third consecutive year, homicide investigations increased. Atlanta Police Department data shows law enforcement investigated 7% more homicides in 2022 than in 2021.
Youth Crime Impacting Atlanta K-12 Schools
Gun violence also continues to affect Atlanta K-12 schools. On Feb. 14, four students were shot after dismissal at Benjamin E. Mays High School. After the shooting, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said while overall crime is down across the community, youth crime continues to be a major concern.
In Georgia, an average of 133 children and teens die by guns every year, and 64% of these deaths are homicides. In the United States, 58% of all gun deaths among children and teens are homicides.
