3 teens injured during shooting at Sweet 16 party

CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — Police say three teen boys were shot when a fight escalated at a Sweet 16 party in Clayton County on Saturday.

The teens were hit by the gunfire after a large fight broke out outside LPT Studios on Lake Harbin Drive in Morrow.

Channel 2's Lori Wilson spoke off camera with the owner, who said that, from now on, he will have security when he's hosting large events.

Eddie Choi has owned American Deli next door for about 10 years. He told Wilson he was working around 9:30 p.m. Saturday when he heard five or six shots fired outside his store.

“We locked the doors, we turned off the lights and we looked outside, and children were running all over,” Choi said. “My heart pounded."

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LPT Studios owner Larry Thomas confirmed to Wilson that his studio hosted the party Saturday night and that the shooting happened outside his facility.

Investigators said two boys were shot in the leg and the other was shot in the torso.

Thomas agreed to let Wilson record a phone interview with him but, when she called him, she got his voicemail.

LPT is billed as a dance studio and has Zumba, hip-hop and step stickers on its windows.

As Wilson was at the scene Monday, she saw Clayton County Code Enforcement drive up to check out the business' location and its licensing.

“It's a good area. It's a safe neighborhood. Not too many people make trouble,” Choi said.

Choi said Thomas is a good neighbor but said that, anytime you have a lot of teenagers together, there should be chaperones and police there, too.

“Children -- you never know what they're thinking. They never think about the future,” Choi said.

Thomas told Wilson that nothing like this has happened at his business before and said he is sorry about what occurred at his venue.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.

Cox Media Group