ATLANTA — A spate of five shootings has left three people dead and three others injured across Atlanta, from Midtown to the southwest city border within 26 hours between early Saturday morning and early Sunday, according to authorities.
The weekend’s gun violence is a grim reminder of the rising deadly crime that the city continues to fight with government initiatives and increased security and policing efforts.
In the first case, a man was shot around midnight while asleep in his home in the 2300 block of Sandcove Court, just outside the Sandlewood Estates, police said. The victim was described as alert and taken to a hospital.
Investigators said the gunshot came from outside the home.
By about 9:45 a.m., officers were called to Bankhead, where a man had been shot in the leg in the 400 block of Joseph E. Lowery Boulevard. Police said the victim was alert when he was taken to a hospital.
Six hours later, just before 4 p.m., a call came in about a man who had been shot in the hand in the 4000 block of Cornell Boulevard in the Baker Hills neighborhood of southwest Atlanta, police said. That victim also was said to be alert and taken to the hospital.
According to investigators, the shooting stemmed from a domestic dispute. Police did not say if anyone would face charges.
Then, around 7 p.m., a man was fatally shot across from Peachtree Fountains Plaza near the Five Points MARTA station in downtown Atlanta, police said.
The victim, who was not identified, was found with a gunshot wound to the abdomen, according to a police statement. He was rushed to a hospital, where he died shortly after. No other details were released about the case.
On Sunday at 2 a.m., police were called to 1270 Spring St., near the Dunkin’ coffee and baked goods shop and the Spectrum on Spring apartment complex. There, they found two people with multiple gunshot wounds. Both victims, who were not identified, were pronounced dead at the scene. No other details were released.
The fatal double shooting and earlier deadly shooting come as Atlanta officials try to find ways to reduce violent crime.
Since taking office in January, Mayor Andre Dickens has made public safety his top priority and launched multiple initiatives in an effort to reduce violent crime, including launching a Repeat Offender Tracking Unit.
The police department also has beefed up the city’s network of security cameras and has asked residents and business owners to register their surveillance devices with the department. This year’s plans have included installing an additional 10,000 streetlights and aiming to hire 250 new officers by the end of the year.
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