Southwest Atlanta community voice concerns after deadly teen shooting
ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - Residents living near Benjamin E. Mays High School have crime and violence concerns after a deadly teen shooting over the weekend.
16-year-old Bre’Asia Powell was shot and killed during a graduation gathering.
Another teen was shot and injured, according to police.
“I felt like this could be avoided,” Danielle Armstrong, a Cascades resident, said. “We’ve had so much crime in this area we’ve reached out to the police department about.”
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Armstrong said she and her neighbors have been afraid someone would get seriously hurt or killed.
“I don’t want to see any other deaths, I don’t want to see the deaths of any of the children doing this,” she said. “My heart goes out to them too because clearly, they don’t have enough to do or enough resources, but this is not the answer to that.”
Residents told Atlanta News First that violence and crime aren’t uncommon in the area.
Some shared claims of stolen cars, vandalism, and packages snatched from porches.
Armstrong said they want more police patrol.
“We need them to be rolling through here on an hourly basis, so the kids at least know that the police are here,” she said.
Atlanta News First reached out to city officials about the concerns.
Council member Andrea Boone released the following statement:
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