ATLANTA — A man who survived a shootout on Peachtree Street in Midtown Atlanta says he considers himself “blessed” after being shot while working security, and now hopes his second chance at life will help prevent others from resorting to violence.
The shooting Thursday night shut down part of Peachtree Street. Four days later, businesses in the area remained boarded up as the investigation continues.
Channel 2’s Eryn Rogers was live on the scene during WSB Tonight on Thursday.
Gregory Thomas III spoke with Rogers from his hospital bed at Grady Memorial Hospital, where he is recovering from his injuries.
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“I’m feeling ok,” Thomas said when asked how he was feeling.
Thomas said he was working as an armed security guard outside Soigné Garden around 10 p.m. Thursday when he asked a man to leave the property.
“I was really just trying to deescalate the situation and get him off the property,” Thomas said.
He said the man had approached the business earlier that day.
“I don’t necessarily remember what he looked like, but I remember him coming over twice that day,” Thomas said.
According to Thomas, the two began arguing after he asked the man to leave. Video provided to Rogers by a viewer captured the confrontation and the moment the man pulled out a gun and shot Thomas.
“I felt it when he first shot me, and then I just started shooting back,” Thomas said.
Thomas said he ran down Peachtree Street searching for help.
“I ran to five or six different cars,” he said. “Nobody let me in their cars. Everyone was scared, so by the time I got to the sixth car, I had passed out and was just on the ground. Then, there was a group of people who were around me, and they started resuscitating me.”
He and his mother, Camille Bell, said they’re thankful for the strangers who rushed to help him when he collapsed near 7th Street and Peachtree Street.
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“I’m grateful for the young lady and the young man who did CPR and prayed for my son and for the people who called 911,” Bell said.
Bell said she has remained by her son’s side in the hospital as he faces a lengthy recovery, including another surgery on Tuesday.
“Day by day, minute by minute, but I’m just grateful my son is here,” she said.
Despite what happened, Thomas said he does not harbor hatred toward the man who shot him.
“Plenty of forgiveness,” he said. “I feel like I’m still down here because I haven’t fulfilled my purpose.”
Bell echoed that message.
“He doesn’t hate the person. Forgiveness is in all of our hearts, but a discussion doesn’t have to end in an argument or a shooting,” she said.
Thomas believes better emotional control could prevent similar acts of violence.
“That’s really the reason why he shot me because he wasn’t controlling his emotions well,” Thomas said. “You only get one life.”
Looking ahead, Thomas said he hopes to use his experience to make a difference. He wants to start a foundation focused on helping young men resolve conflicts without violence and showing them there are better ways to handle disagreements.
“Cherish life while you’re down here because I was in a mood where I wasn’t really cherishing life,” Thomas said.
Atlanta police said the shooting remains under active investigation. No arrests have been announced.
Although he wants the violence to stop, Thomas said he would not advocate for the man who shot him to go to jail. Instead, he and his mom hope his story encourages others to choose peace over violence.
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