ATLANTA — Thirty-one people were shot last weekend in Atlanta, 5 killed.
Heading into the weekend, we wanted to know if the city of Atlanta is taking any special steps, to prevent a repeat of the violence.
Channel 2 investigative reporter Justin Gray asked Atlanta City Councilman Amir Farokhi if there were some things this weekend that people would see that would be different.
“You are going to see a change in traffic flow, the capacity of the street will be different, and you’ll see APD will be present as well,” said Farokhi.
Fourteen people were shot, 2 of them killed on Auburn avenue on July 4th. Video shared on social media also captured a massive street party, even as many of the bars and restaurants along the Edgewood corridor remain closed.
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“What we’ve seen are essentially defacto illegal street parties that have turned violent,” said Farokhi, who represents the area on city council.
The shooting on Auburn, was one of 11 separate shootings last weekend in Atlanta, with 31 victims. Five who lost their lives.
James Woodall, the President of the Georgia NAACP, says the answer to the violence, is not extra policing.
"The coverage has been about the increase in violence and some people suggest black on black crime, people are out there because yet another life was taken. Our work has to be how do we stop that from happening," Woodall said.
A flyer circulating on social media promotes a march Saturday to take back the Wendy’s on University avenue where Raysahrd Brooks was killed.
City crews cleared people out and threw away items at the Wendy’s this week, after 8 year old Secoriea Turner was murdered near there.
The Last Straw
Channel 2 Anchor Jorge Esteves talked to retired Atlanta Police Detective Vince Velazquez about how the city needs to tackle the violence problem Atlanta is facing.
Velazquez described what was happening around the Wendy’s last weekend as “complete lawlessness.”
“You know, we shouldn’t wait till an eight-year-old girl’s killed for that to be the last straw,” Velazques said. “So there’s a police presence there. I think that there’s a balance that we need to explore that people who are still protesting people are still demonstrating their frustration. You are allowed to do that. But under no circumstances allow that to return to what it was a week ago.”
Velazquez said that the city can allow peaceful protesters, but not the ‘bad actors’ who were stopping cars, doing illegal road blocks and shooting at cars.
“They want to express themselves, so then find a balance between the police department and the community,” Velazquez said.
Velazquez said he thinks the solution is to have the police department having a presence at the Wendy’s and encouraging them to protest in a safe space.
Cox Media Group
