Police investigating fatal shooting near GSU campus

Caption

The Mix apartments, right, are adjacent to the RaceTrac gas station on Piedmont Avenue near the Georgia State University campus.

Credit: Google Maps

A 21-year-old man is dead after a fatal shooting on Sunday afternoon near the Georgia State University campus in downtown Atlanta.

The victim was not a student, according to GSU school officials.

According to the Atlanta Police Department, officers responded to 120 Piedmont Avenue NE in reference to a person shot just before 12:45 p.m. The address is for The Mix, which is listed as student apartments, and adjacent to the RaceTrac gas station where other shooting incidents have occurred over the last year.

Upon arrival, officers located the 21-year-old male who sustained apparent gunshot wounds. The male was not alert, conscious, or breathing and was pronounced dead at the scene by medical personnel.

Investigators with the APD Homicide Unit responded to the scene to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident. At this time, the investigation is ongoing.

GSU President M. Brian Blake released this statement on the incident providing more details about the shooting:

Dear Panther community,

I want to provide further information about the Clery Act Safety Alert sent earlier today about a shooting on Piedmont Avenue and give as much additional context as I can about this tragic incident.

Atlanta Police are investigating a fight between two groups that quickly escalated into gunfire near the RaceTrac service station around 12:30 p.m. this afternoon. One of the people involved in the fight was struck by gunfire and killed. None of the parties involved have been identified as GSU students or staff. The off-duty police officer added earlier this year inside the RaceTrac was on the scene and responded immediately.

Our campus leadership and public safety officers send our sympathy and condolences to the family of the victims. While the individuals involved were not affiliated with the university, we know these acts of violence affect us all, especially those that happen in close proximity to our campus facilities. Just after the incident, I debriefed with leadership at the RaceTrac and with city leadership, and our GSU Chief of Police maintains close contact with the Atlanta Police Department. We have made recent enhancements that added more officer monitoring and cameras, reoriented our building entrances and provided staff training, and we will assess this incident to make more impactful changes. We will continue to make strides in enhancing and defining our campus and securing our spaces. You have my commitment in continuing our proactive safety operations and to keeping our entire community informed.

A GSU student was shot and killed in December 2022. Last October, four people were shot in the area, including two students and a 19-year-old woman who died. In December, a person was shot to death and another wounded after a fight led to gunfire near the RaceTrac.

This story come to GPB through a reporting partnership with Rough Draft Atlanta.