Victims in violent home invasion share secret of strength

ATLANTA — A family is recovering after a violent home invasion.  The father has a metal rod in his leg and is expected to be OK.

Whitney Lash says a group of teens burst through the front door of her Sumter Street home in northwest Atlanta Sunday.

She made a terrifying 911 call made just moments after the home invasion.

"There’s a black young man at the front door.  He just pulled a gun on my husband."

The group, who tried to rob the family, shot Mike Lash in the leg and then fired at Whitney Lash as she ran with her baby in her arms.

"Our investigators are continuing to gather information,” said Atlanta Police spokesman Officer Ralph Woolfolk. “At this point, we have gathered fragments as well as bullets and sent those off to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation for analysis.

Police released a sketch Wednesday afternoon of one of the suspects they are looking for in the case.

The incident has many in the neighborhood on edge. Those fears were the focus of a community meeting Tuesday night at Fire Station 28 on Hollywood Road, not far from where the attack happened.

"It is scary when you're not used to it," Don Penovi told Channel 2's Carl Willis. "We're kind of in a transition area. We get stuff like this, but they get it in Buckhead. They get it everywhere."

Neighbors told Willis they were glad there was a big turnout for the meeting.  

"What I really liked, I don't know if it was what I heard, but I thought I saw, it was a really well attended meeting," Penovi said. "We've got to have continued pressure on the police to come out here."

On a GoFundMe page set up to help the family, Whitney Lash wrote, in part:

"Mike's words are still echoing in my mind as he was bleeding profusely and in excruciating pain on our floor. The amazing police and EMT were working on him while he was proclaiming Luke 23:34 'Forgive them Father, they know not what they have done.’ His immediate grace and forgiveness for others in the midst of life and death is a constant reminder for me as I feel anger trying to creep in.”

Crime Stoppers is offering a $5,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in this case.

Anyone with information can call Crime Stoppers at 404-577-8477. You can also submit a tip online.

WSBTV