ATLANTA — Two people are facing charges after an early morning shooting on Edgewood Avenue that left two men injured and renewed concerns about violence in one of Atlanta’s historic neighborhoods.
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Atlanta police responded to reports of a shooting on Edgewood Avenue just after 1 a.m. Wednesday. When officers arrived, they found two men suffering from gunshot wounds — one shot in the chest and another in the leg.
Investigators said the violence stemmed from an argument between two groups of people walking in the area.
According to police, one man who was with his girlfriend pulled out a gun during the confrontation. A man from the other group then drew his own weapon and shot the first man twice. Police said the girlfriend then chased after the other group while firing a gun, striking one person in the leg.
Authorities arrested the couple after reviewing video evidence that showed they were the aggressors in the incident. Charges are pending.
The shooting left crime scene tape stretched across part of Edgewood Avenue Wednesday morning and added to concerns from residents who say violence has become a recurring problem in the neighborhood.
“I’m afraid to leave my house,” said neighbor Kevin Randolph.
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Randolph said shootings in the area have become all too common.
“Five people got shot and one killed, some other people got shot, and as you said, someone got shot last night. It’s really scary,” Randolph said.
He called the latest shooting “really sad” and “pretty deplorable.”
Business owners along Edgewood Avenue say the violence threatens to overshadow the neighborhood’s history and culture.
“Edgewood and Sweet Auburn is historically one of the most culturally diverse communities,” said Cyrei Daniel, owner of Sweet Me Good Café.
Daniel and other business owners recently formed the Historic King District Business Association, an organization focused on improving public safety and strengthening the community.
“This is exactly why we formed this association, so we can get in front of these issues. We can work with our community partners to elevate this community,” Daniel said.
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The association is developing a public safety action plan and hopes to increase security measures along the corridor.
“We want to make sure we have patrols at key points along this street,” Daniel said.
Some residents, however, remain skeptical about how much impact the group can have.
“There aren’t enough businesses. You see a lot of empty spaces. There aren’t enough businesses to really do anything,” Randolph said.
Daniel said lasting change will require involvement from residents, businesses and community partners.
“The way that we attack those issues is by preplanning, making sure we’re doing stuff like this big district-wide public safety meeting,” she said.
The Historic King District Business Association has not yet announced a date for its planned public safety meeting. The group is scheduled to host an Art Walk and Taste of Edgewood event on Saturday.