Atlanta police search for gunman who shot tow truck driver's daughters near downtown gas station
A late-night dispute at a BP gas station on Piedmont Road erupted into gunfire Sunday, leaving two sisters wounded and a suspect on the run.
Atlanta police said the violence began around the former RaceTrac station, now a BP, when a man got into an argument with a tow truck driver who was in the process of towing his vehicle. The confrontation turned physical, and the man left the scene.
About half a block away, investigators say the same man confronted two women — the tow truck driver's daughters — and opened fire, shooting both of them before running off. The shooting happened in a church parking lot behind the EZ Market convenience store, police said.
Both women were taken to Grady Memorial Hospital's Adamsville Critical Bay for treatment. The sisters are expected to recover. No other injuries were reported.
Multiple Georgia State University students who live nearby said the gunfire shook the area.
Kevaughan Hickman told CBS News Atlanta he and his cousin had just stepped outside after studying when they heard what they thought were backfiring cars, until the shots kept coming.
"We heard a few gunshots… then people started running everywhere," Hickman said. "It was probably about 10 or more shots ... The first seven went off, then another five after that. Once it was consistent, we knew it was gunfire."
Hickman said he later saw shell casings and blood on the ground as police arrived.
Another student, Christian Leguerre, said the rapid burst of shots startled residents of The Mix Apartments.
"It was like a flurry of shots," he said. "Then it paused, and then you heard a little more." Leguerre said he heard witnesses describe the suspect as wearing a red hoodie and limping as he fled. "It's just really scary… I didn't really know what to think."
Atlanta police have not released a detailed description of the suspect and said the investigation remains active.