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Woman shot, killed walking out of southwest Atlanta store

By , FOX 5 Atlanta Digital Team and Laura Neal
Updated  October 19, 2020 6:17pm EDT
SW Atlanta
FOX 5 Atlanta

Woman shot and killed at store

A woman was shot and killed while leaving an Atlanta store early Monday morning.

ATLANTA - A 59-year-old woman was shot and killed in a drive-by shooting Monday morning outside a store.

The incident happened around 5:30 a.m. outside the Family Food Mart, located in a strip mall on Atlanta Avenue SW.

According to investigators with the Atlanta Police Department, two homeless women walked into the business to escape the cold. As one of the women stepped outside, police said a silver SUV pulled up and opened fire, striking the 59-year-old. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

“It’s really sad. I just saw them last weekend and we went and had lunch. It’s just really sad,” Family Member Jeanetta Houston said.

It’s a tragic Start to the week for Jeanetta Houston. Houston identified the victim as her sister Debra Houston.

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Houston’s other sister was with the victim but was not injured.

“The female was inside the store at some point she stepped out of the store and a silver crossover sports vehicle pulled up in the parking lot and at least one of the occupants opened fire,” Atlanta Police Lt. Pete Malecki.

Police believe the 59-year-old woman was not the intended target but was shot in the head. Investigators believe she was inside the store playing a gaming machine prior to the incident.

“I told them last time that the next time you might not be that lucky,” Houston said.

Those haunting words continue to replay inside this sister's mind.

Houston said this isn’t the first time her loved ones have been shot.

“A couple of months ago the same thing happened. Both of them were shot,” Houston said.

Houston said the two sisters were homeless at the time and used the building to escape the cold.

“This involves an innocent bystander and an innocent victim so it’s very heartbreaking and very concerning for us,” Malecki said.

This family hopes this will serve as a wake-up call for the community.

“I hope they find out who's doing the drive-by shooting. She walked out the store and she gets shot down,” Houston said.

Investigators believe at least two people were inside the silver SUV.

No arrests have been made in the case. Atlanta police were working to locate the suspect vehicle.

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