A shooting near an Atlanta shopping district on Saturday (November 26) night left 12-year-old Zyion Charles dead and five teenagers injured.
According to 11Alive News, the 12-year-old succumbed to his injuries at the scene and the five others were rushed to the hospital following the shooting near Atlantic Station, a popular hub for shopping and entertainment, Atlanta police said.
Atlanta Public Schools (APS) issued a statement on Monday (November 28), saying that two of the injured teens were students in the district. The other teens involved attended KIPP charter schools, APS said.
Around 8 p.m. Saturday, off-duty Atlanta Police officers and Atlantic Station personnel escorted a group of minors off of the property due to "unruly behavior" and for violating a curfew in place at the shopping district.
Once they moved away from Atlantic Station, a dispute broke out within the group, which led to gunfire. Police said it's possible that the shooting was between two groups and that there could be multiple gunmen.
On Sunday (November 27), Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said all parties involved knew each other.
The Atlantic Station's website states that a 3 p.m. curfew is strictly enforced for all unaccompanied minors and that groups of at least four or more juveniles will be sent away from the property.
In a press conference on Sunday, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens offered condolences to the victim's families but noted that several parents said they weren't aware of their children's whereabouts or that there was a curfew in place at Atlantic Station. Dickens also pointed to the heightened police presence that was already in place at the popular shopping and entertainment destination.
In a statement, Atlantic Station said they are cooperating with the police investigation "in every way possible."
"Atlantic Station is private property and has a 24/7 security team comprised of off-duty Atlanta Police Department officers and Atlantic Station security personnel that strictly enforce the Code of Conduct and curfew on property," the statement reads in part. "Atlantic Station stands behind its security team, and had 26 off-duty police officers and security on staff the night of the incident."
See the full statement here.
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