After a gunman opened fire on several people in a Southwest Atlanta neighborhood on Tuesday afternoon, injuring four high school students and one other, a suspect is now in custody.
Marcellus Brooks, a 17-year old boy, was arrested and is being charged with five counts of aggravated assault.
Witnesses told FOX Atlanta that a group of 30 to 35 people were arguing when someone pulled a gun and started shooting. Four victims were shot in the lower body, one in the chest. As of this morning, three remain at Grady Memorial Hospital but are said to be in stable condition.
Shavien Dennis, the mother of one of the victims, said that her 17-year old daughter spent the night at Grady after being shot in the leg.
“She tried to run and realized she wasn’t running anymore,” Dennis said. “She was on the ground and she said blood was everywhere.”
Dennis’ daughter, a mother herself, had just left campus on her final day of school before graduation rehearsals.
Another parent, Glenda Williams, just happened to be in the area when the incident occurred and helped to apply pressure to a victim who was shot in the chest.
The shooting took place near Therrell High School around 4:00 p.m.
John Eaves, the Chairman of the Fulton County Board of Commissioners, called the shootings “particularly upsetting and distressing,” saying, “When our young people are victimized by the crime of our city streets, it serves as a sad reminder of the challenges we as leaders confront in trying to make our streets safer for Fulton County families.”
A motive for the shooting has not yet been established. Officer John Chafee said in a statement, “Investigators are following up on information and we are progressing the investigation.”
Brooks, the shooter, was also arrested last month by MARTA police and charged with felony robbery for a March incident, according to court records. He was released on a $8,000 bond after only 15 days in jail.
Although the incident did not happen on campus and it is unclear if Brooks is or is not a student at Therrell, Kimberly Green with Atlanta Public Schools has said that extra security will be added on campus for the rest of the year and that students will not be permitted to carry book bags or backpacks for the remainder of the school year.
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