South Fulton County

3 found dead inside College Park apartment

COLLEGE PARK, Ga. — Police continued to gather clues well into Monday night after witnesses described being dangerously close to a robbery-turned-deadly gunfight.

Patrice Smith and Rita Jones were outside at the Embarcadero Club Apartments on Sullivan Road when the shooting went down.

"We heard gunshots in the breezeway," Smith said.

"We were on the porch so we ran inside when I saw the shooting. ‘Everybody come on, they're shooting they're shooting,’" Jones said. "It kept on getting louder and louder."

College Park police say three people were killed and a fourth person injured. Police say robbers approached a unit in Building 13 when the resident pulled a gun and started a shootout.

"We have not ruled out the possibility that drugs might have played a particular role in the robbery attempt," said College Park Police Chief Keith Meadows.

Police say the attempted robber was shot and killed, and a man who was with him was shot in the leg.

The resident of the apartment was also killed along with a third victim in the apartment.

Leo Rivers said he talked with the resident's brother who survived the shootout.

"He was in the back room playing the game when he heard gunfire. He told me he just closed the door because if he didn't, they probably would have killed him," Rivers said.

Police say an officer was inside of the complex when all of the shooting started and stopped two potential suspects in a vehicle trying to leave the scene.

Police believe everyone who was shot was an intended target and they're grateful that no innocent bystanders were hurt.

"Obviously with that amount of gunfire exchanged there's certainly always a concern," Meadows said.