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'Know where your children are': Atlanta officials issue plea after 12-year-old killed outside Atlantic Station

By FOX 5 Atlanta Digital Team
Updated  November 27, 2022 10:58pm EST
Atlantic Station
FOX 5 Atlanta

City leaders weigh in on surge of violence over holiday weekend

Atlanta city leaders held a news conference not only addressing the violence among teens, but the steps they want to take to prevent it from happening again.

ATLANTA - Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens joined Police Chief Darin Schierbaum and Atlanta Public Schools superintendent Lisa Herring in pleading for parents to supervise their children after a deadly Saturday shooting on 17th Street near Atlantic Station.

Dickens addressed violence between teenagers and the recent overnight incident at the popular shopping plaza. The mayor said he spoke the families of the student killed in the shooting and those injured. He said some parents weren't aware of a curfew in place at Atlantic Station.

"They were all still in shock and devastated by the situation," Dickens said. "They also communicated they didn't know their student was here at the time."

WHAT SAFETY MEASURES ARE IN PLACE AT ATLANTIC STATION?

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens speaks after a shooting on 17th Street in Atlanta.

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens speaks after a shooting on 17th Street in Atlanta. (FOX 5 Atlanta)

Police said at least one person died, and five others were wounded, including one in critical condition, after a dispute escalated to gunfire near the shopping plaza. Investigators said the shooting was not random. Police said an off-duty Atlanta Police Department officer and Atlantic Station security guards were escorting a group of juveniles away from Atlantic Station before the shooting happened on 17th Street.

The neighborhood and retail district implemented the curfew in January, saying the decision was in response to the rise in crime across the city. At the time it was announced, officials said it would be strictly enforced.

Police investigate shooting on 17th Street in Atlanta.

Police investigate shooting on 17th Street in Atlanta. (FOX 5 Atlanta)

The policy stated no one under the age of 18 was allowed on the premises without a parent or guardian after 3 p.m. Each adult can only accompany a maximum of 4 minors. No one under the age of 21 was permitted on the property after 9 p.m. A spokesperson for Atlantic Station said there was a 24/7 security team in place and over 500 surveillance cameras throughout the property.

Herring said parents should let Atlanta Public Schools know if they think their children need support.

"It is our commitment to do all that we can to support parents in need," she said.

Schierbaum said investigators expect to issue warrants soon.

"Some of the individuals involved are known to the Atlanta Police Department," Schierbaum said.

Atlantic StationNewsCrime and Public Safety