Kemp: Violent weekend in Atlanta 'outrageous and unacceptable'
Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia holds a press briefing from the state capitol Thursday afternoon May 21, 2020 (FOX 5 Atlanta).
ATLANTA - Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has responded to a violent weekend in Atlanta that saw dozens of people shot and a number killed.
"This recent trend of lawlessness is outrageous and unacceptable," Kemp tweeted Sunday night.
The governor was responding to a shooting Sunday that killed a 53-year-old man and injured two other people on the 1100 block of Pryor Road in southwest Atlanta. That deadly shooting came less a day after 8-year-old Secoriea Turner was shot during a confrontation on the same road Saturday night.
In both cases, the shootings happened near the Wendy's where Rayshard Brooks was shot in June. Protestors had recently erected illegal barricades, according to authorities. The mayor and police have allowed protestors to occupy the Wendy's in recent weeks, allowing for open discussion. But since Turner's death, Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said that opportunity no longer stands, and the area will be cleared.
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In total, over two dozen people were shot throughout the city on the Fourth of July. That includes a shooting at an Auburn Avenue intersection that ended with two dead and 12 injured.
In a press conference Sunday night, Bottoms called on everyone to "be responsible during this time.
"We're doing each other more harm than any police officer on this force," Bottoms said. "We've had over 75 shootings in the city over the past several weeks. You can't blame that on APD."
While stating on Twitter that his family was praying for Turner's family and loved ones, Kemp emphasized that all Georgians, including law enforcement, "need to be protected from crime & violence."
"While we stand ready to assist local leaders in restoring peace and maintaining order, we won’t hesitate to take action without them," Kemp said.
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