CARROLLTON, Ga. — Police are investigating a double shooting at an apartment complex less than one mile from the campus of the University of West Georgia.
Authorities said the apartment belonged to a student and five other people were inside at the time of the shooting.
Detectives said three masked men, one armed with a gun, came to the River's Edge apartment around 8:30 Thursday night. Police said there was a struggle and one of the suspects was shot.
“During that struggle, the firearm was fired seven times in that apartment,” Carrollton police Capt. Chris Dobbs said.
Police said one of the victims got ahold of the gun and shot the first suspect three times.
Neighbor Kenneth Hadley heard the commotion and came outside and saw one of the suspects lying in the grass.
"We got a guy sitting right here in the grass, he's bleeding and half-way dead and all you hear is the officer saying, 'I need a medic, I need a medic," Hadley said.
Outside, a second suspect was gunned down as he ran away, according to police.
“He was shot eight to nine times in the back running from the scene,” Dobbs said.
Hadley also saw the second gunshot victim.
“He had a wound to the ear and a wound right here,” Hadley said.
Police said the six potential victims said they did not go outside or chase and shoot the second suspect.
“What we’re trying to figure out (is) who shot the second suspect outside as he’s running away,” Dobbs said.
No guns were found, but police said there were at least two involved.
During the gunfire, one round pierced through a neighbor's balcony door.
"My roommate was here. I got a call and she said to get home because a gunshot came through our walls. When I got here the cops were everywhere," said Brittany Pierce.
Police are not sure what triggered the shooting.
Crime scene investigators were able to collect evidence from the parking lot and sidewalk and took pictures of the scene.
Both suspects shot survived and were taken to the hospital. The third ran from the scene.
Police are working to track down the third suspect and find the second shooter.
An alert went out to students at the University of West Georgia telling them of the shooting because so many students live at the complex.
WSBTV
