Atlanta City Council responds after another report of violence near GSU campus

ATLANTA - Some Georgia State University students are on edge after another person was found with a gunshot wound near student housing Saturday night. The spot has been a hotspot for violence the last several months.

Atlanta police say a 25-year-old man with a gunshot wound flagged down GSU officers near the old RaceTrac gas station on Piedmont Avenue for help. APD says he was not a GSU student and that the shooting did not happen in that area.

The situation was addressed during Monday’s Atlanta City Council Public Safety Committee meeting.

"A lot of the students in that particular area are very concerned for their safety with Georgia State being such an urban environment," Atlanta City Council member Michael Bond said.

"Consistently, APD is constantly in that area doing directed patrols. Again, that was a testament to this past weekend when that victim walked up to that Georgia State University officer in that space," an APD officer said in response.

Past violence near GSU campus

Just two weeks ago, a 21-year-old man was shot and killed in this same area. The shooting happened at 120 Piedmont Avenue NE around 12:30 p.m. on Feb. 25. Officials say the deadly shooting began as a fight between three people, who were not GSU students, that escalated into gunfire.

In October, four people were shot near the RaceTrac, a 19-year-old woman didn't survive.

Last month, the RaceTrac at Piedmont Avenue closed. The CEO said the closure of the store was one about safety and financial impact.

GSU students work to address nearby violence

While this most recent shooting didn't occur at the troubled intersection, the news still had some students on edge.

"For this to happen again around our campus it's really shocking for me," Masada Combs said.

Last month, Combs co-founded the group Outspoken GSU for students to share their concerns about safety on campus.

"The issue of violence around our campus is something that us students definitely take seriously," Combs said.

"Especially since we're paying for this tuition, we don't want it to be a really bad look on Georgia State," she added.

Following last month's shooting, GSU officials said they added more officer monitoring and cameras to the area, reoriented their building entrances, and provided staff training. APD says the area is being patrolled.

"That presence was there. But I'm sure that the students would be able to appreciate in knowing they'll see more visibility in those spaces," an APD officer explained during Monday's committee meeting.