Dec. 18 (UPI) — Two teenage boys, 14 and 16, died in a shootout near an apartment complex in southwest Atlanta, police said.
Police responded to The Retreat at Greenbriar after reports of people being shot at 5:08 p.m. Saturday.
An 11-year-old boy, a 15-year-old girl and a 15-year-old boy were taken to a local hospital by private vehcle before police arrived: “https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/shooting-continental-colony-sw-atlanta” target=”_blank”}.
“One group of individuals came to the apartment with their guns, then the other group fired their weapons,” Deputy Chief Charles Hampton Jr. said. “Both parties had weapons.”
Some type of argument on social media escalated into gunfire, police said they believe.
“They say boys opened up fire on my nephew and my nephew retaliated back,” an unidentified woman, who arrived afterward told WAGA-TV.
“Guns are so easy to get now, it’s scary.”
Some of the victims involved were students from the district and some attended other metro school districts.
“I hate being here talking about kids and gun fire,” Hamptom said. “We just ask that parents know where your kids are, know what they’re doing, check rooms. There are just too many guns in the hands of our youth.
“Like I said several weeks ago, this should be a time that we are getting ready for the holidays, but we have at least two families that will be planning for funerals.”
“They says boys opened up fire on my nephew and my nephew retaliated back,” an unidentified woman said.
