1 killed in New Year's Day triple shooting outside SW Atlanta bar

ATLANTA - Atlanta police are investigating the city’s first deadly shooting of the year after a New Year’s Eve celebration turned violent outside a bar on Metropolitan Parkway.

The shooting occurred shortly before 3:15 a.m. Sunday outside the LaCura Bar and Bistro in the 1900 block of Metropolitan Parkway. According to the Atlanta Police Department, an altercation inside the bar escalated after security guards removed a group of individuals involved in a fight. The dispute continued in the parking lot, where gunfire erupted.

Officers responding to the scene found three men shot. One of the victims, identified by the Fulton County Medical Examiner as 28-year-old Kirey R. Thompson of Roopville, succumbed to his injuries after being driven to the hospital by friends. Two others, a 41-year-old man and a 48-year-old man, were transported to a local hospital for treatment. Police said one of the injured men, who was shot in the leg, was a security guard for the bar.

Lt. Andrew Smith, commander of the Atlanta Police Department’s homicide unit, confirmed that the fight inside the bar spilled outside and culminated in gunfire. "There was a fight inside of the club, which was pushed out by security, and once outside, the fight continued and erupted in gunfire," Smith said.

The bar’s owner, through a relative who identified himself as "Censei," expressed sorrow over the tragedy. "It’s always a good vibe. It’s love. It’s family. He’s very disheartened by it. He’s a father himself. No one wants to see anyone get killed," Censei said.

Censei defended the bar’s safety measures, noting the presence of a metal detector, 16 security guards inside, and six armed guards in the parking lot. "Security’s job is to remove aggressive patrons from the venue," he explained. "Once they are outside of the venue, they are then in the hands of law enforcement."

Police are reviewing what they described as "clear and excellent" surveillance footage from the bar. Investigators have not released the names of the other two injured men or identified any suspects.

The bar’s owner emphasized the establishment’s longstanding commitment to the community. "For 12 years, we are the only establishment on Metropolitan Parkway that has served the community. We are the only ones that do food drives," Censei said.

Anyone with information about the shooting is urged to contact the Atlanta Police Department.