ATLANTA — An 18-year-old is recovering after being shot in the middle of the afternoon near Langhorn Street and Westview Drive on New Year’s Eve.
Atlanta police said the shooting happened around 3 p.m. on the Westside Trail. The teen is expected to be OK, but investigators are still searching for the person responsible and say the victim did not know the shooter.
“I was completely shocked,” said Gabriel Mack, who uses the trail.
Others said the incident reflects broader concerns about youth gun violence.
“With the uptick in youth gun violence, it’s really scary,” said Vanessa Giovanni-Rampa. “It’s really sad.”
Mack told Channel 2’s Eryn Rogers he was trying out the Westside Trail.
“I know that they expanded the Westside recently, so I was trying to check it out,” he said.
But the shooting has him reconsidering.
“I like it because it’s quiet over here, but at the same time, that may be a risk, so I may shift to the Eastside a little bit more until I find out more about what’s happening over here,” Mack said.
Some neighbors said they were unsettled by the crime scene but not surprised.
“I was saddened to hear that it happened, but I wasn’t overly surprised,” said Illya Davis, who lives nearby and uses the trail several times a week.
Davis said addressing crime requires tackling other issues.
“If there was some form of retribution or oversight, I think we could reduce it, but I’d appreciate the poverty be addressed first,” he said.
“I wish the lawmakers could instead invest in programs for the youth,” Giovanni-Rampa added.
Davis also said more development could improve safety on the Westside Trail.
“If you look around there’s not anything here. It’s rather desolate if you were to walk back this way, so I think they had a good idea, bad execution, and I’m hoping that it will be modified over time,” he said.
Despite the shooting, some people said they will continue using the trail.
“It doesn’t deter me from wanting to walk here or spend time here,” Emma Tobin said.
Davis echoed that sentiment:
“It won’t deter me, no. I think it’s more anomalous than anything else, so I’m fine walking. If I took that disposition, then I would never go anywhere,” he said.
Atlanta police said the investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]