ATLANTA — Police say they continue working to figure out what sparked a shooting that killed two people during a fraternity picnic. A surveillance camera that overlooks the area where the shooting happened may provide some valuable clues.
Meanwhile, people were back out at Coan Park in southeast Atlanta enjoying a game of tennis, or just enjoying the outdoors. All of this just days after a double deadly shooting here.
“It’s just the world that we live in,” Carlos Head told Channel 2’s Tom Jones.
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Head hadn’t heard about the shooting Saturday just a few feet from where he was sitting and studying philosophy. He wasn’t surprised to hear an argument led to the loss of two lives.
“We’re losing our humanity. So I don’t care where you go you’re always at risk of the possibility of violence,” he said.
“It was a fraternity event,” Lt. Andrew Smith said.
Police say a fraternity had gathered here Saturday around 8 p.m. when 23-year-old Justin Minnetee crashed the party.
“Which started a confrontation which led to guns being produced,” Smith explained.
Minnetee was hit and later died. Police believe he initiated the entire ordeal.
Anthony Pearson, 33, was hit in the head and killed.
“The male [Pearson] that’s deceased we are told was not involved in the altercation,” Smith said.
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Friends of Pearson say he was a kind and loving soul who was a mentor to younger fraternity members.
Carlos Head says he sees too many simple arguments turn into tragic deaths these days.
“This is just Coan Park, but go to the westside and its Bankhead and go to the southside and its Greenbriar.”
A person shot and a person grazed in the shooting are stable.
A woman who identified herself as Minnitee’s girlfriend says some of the fraternity members harassed one of his female friends as she walked by, and he came to her defense. She says that’s when the argument started and shots fired.
Once again, police say they are actively investigating.
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