D'Asia Hart: Reward offered to find killer of 19-year-old Atlanta mother
De'Asia Hart (Courtesy of the family)
ATLANTA - Atlanta police are hoping a reward can help them solve the murder of a 19-year-old mother killed near Georgia State University.
D'Asia Hart was one of four bystanders shot on the morning of Oct. 29, 2023, when police say a fight between a group of men escalated into a shootout.
The shooting happened along John Wesley Dobbs Avenue near the RaceTrac gas station and The Mix, an off-campus student housing option for GSU.
Hart, the mother of a 1-year-old girl, later died at a local hospital.
The gunmen involved in the shooting remain on the run. Atlanta police shared surveillance footage of three persons of interest - one of whom officials say was seen discarding an AR-15-style rifle before fleeing the scene.
Officials are now offering a $5,000 reward for any information that leads to an arrest and indictment for Hart's murder.
If you have any information that could help with the investigation, call the Atlanta Police Department’s Homicide Unit at (404) 546-4235 or the Crime Stoppers Atlanta tip line at (404) 577-8477.
RaceTrac shuts down after deadly shooting
Last month, the RaceTrac gas station announced it would be permanently shutting its doors following another deadly shooting nearby.
Officials say the shooting happened around 12:30 p.m. on Feb. 25 and began as a fight between three people that escalated into gunfire.
Investigators say a 21-year-old who was not a student at Georgia State was killed in the shooting. Police have not released his identity.
Downtown Atlanta RaceTrac wrongful death lawsuit
The family of a 19-year-old mother has filed a lawsuit against a gas station and an apartment complex near Georgia State University claiming the lack of security led to the young mother's death and many other shootings. The attorneys say there was a large party with no security or police presence back in October of last year.
The next day, RaceTrac's CEO announced that they were closing the business, saying the decision was one about safety and financial impact.
"I am deeply saddened by the recent senseless acts of violence at and near this store," said CEO Natalie Morhous. "As an Atlanta-based business, we did not reach this decision lightly. We know how important our stores are to the community: They are open to guests 24/7/365, they create local jobs, they generate taxes, and play a critical role in the states in which they operate. However, RaceTrac can only be successful when our stores are safe for our team members and our guests."
Hart's family recently filed a lawsuit against the gas station and student housing complex, claiming that the businesses had a "documented history" of shootings, assaults, robberies, and other violent crimes.