Activists call for end to violence in response to deadly shootings at metro Atlanta gas stations
DeKalb County community holds 'Stop the Violence' rally
Hundreds of DeKalb County residents called for an end to the string of violent crimes at convenient stores and gas stations across metro Atlanta.
DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - DeKalb County residents say they're fed up and taking action to combat crime.
The DeKalb County NAACP and other community groups are hosting a rally after a recent string of deadly shootings at convenience stores.
One man, Ronald Hodge, died at a gas station near Candler Road. He was an employee at the cast station.
"He's always the one laughing, joking, cracking jokes," son Ryan Hodge said.
Police said 65-year-old Jurrell Bethel shot and killed him during an argument.
"The end result was because of something he thought was a problem and that was a man tussling and fighting with a woman, and he went in to intervene and my first thought was, ‘I would have done the same thing,’" Ryan Hodge said.
Last month, a shooting left a 28-year-old man dead and two people injured. A 14-year-old faces felony murder in the death of John Battle at a gas station in DeKalb County.
Community groups hold rally to condemn crime at gas stations
The rally follows several deadly shootings at gas stations in DeKalb County. The rally is set for Saturday morning.
"A little boy killed my baby. A little boy," Kamylla Yancey said.
Police said the shooting happened near Covington Highway when Battle was in a car with his girlfriend and child. They were driving away when people started shooting and Battle was hit in the crossfire.
"I want to tell the young kids to stop playing with these guns. They are not a game. You are going to hit someone that has nothing to do with what you have going on," Yancey said.
The ‘Stop the Madness’ rally on Saturday began in the Kroger parking lot at the corner of Redan Road and Hairston Road.