Teen killed in weekend shooting near Atlanta Fair was Creekside High School freshman
ATLANTA - The mother of a 9th grader shot and killed over the weekend near the Atlanta Fair said her heart is broken.
Qadryyah Gilliam said she does not believe her son, 16-year-old Joshua Adetanji, was the gunman's intended target.
"I think he was just caught up in the chaos," the mother of six said.
Gilliam said her sone was a ninth-grader at Creekside High school.
Joshua Adetunji died in a shooting over the weekend near the Atlanta Fair. (Provided by the )
"I am stunned. We are stunned," said Liberty Baptist Associate pastor Randy Wood. "Joshua is a young man full of energy, full of promised. I baptized him 2 years ago right here in this sanctuary."
Atlanta police say Adetunji was shot and killed Saturday night not far from the City fair. Officers say two groups of teens got into a fist fight and someone pulled out a gun and started firing.
His mother says the fatal bullet struck him in his heart. Since she is distraught, she referred FOX 5 Atlanta to the pastor who baptized Joshua two years ago.
"We don't understand these things, but we do understand evil. Josh's life had value, it had meaning ... It was significant, now it is senselessly gone," Liberty Baptist Associate Pastor Randy Wood exclaimed.
Atlanta police have not shared many details about the triple shooting at Pryor Street and Bass Street. They have not made an arrest and are actively working the case.
When, where was the Atlanta Fair shooting?
Police learned of the shooting at around 9:30 p.m. and went to the intersection of Pryor Street and Bass Street.
The Atlanta Police Department said officers found the boy dead from an apparent gunshot wound on Saturday night.
A 14-year-old and 19-year-old were also injured, but their injuries were not believed to be life-threatening.
The investigation is ongoing, but police did not provide details of what led up to the shooting. No arrests have been announced.
Reaction to teen killed at Atlanta Fair
"Heartbreaking man, just to see that kid like that," said one parking lot attendant, who did not want to be named.
He said the shooting was the end result of a massive fight among more than a hundred kids outside the fair.
"It was a bunch of kids, they were just scattered, they were just all around just running, running, running, running," the witness said. "It was just horrible man. It was a sad sight to see."
The Atlanta Fair organizers say they have stepped up security efforts, including a parental escort rule for kids under 16.
"Although this incident did not take place onsite, The Atlanta Fair shares in the community concern surrounding this incident that took place in Downtown Atlanta," said Brianna Poplaskie, spokesperson for the fair. "The Fair continues its present, thorough safety procedures and will coordinate any further safety procedures with the Atlanta Police Department as necessary."