ATLANTA — Nearly one week has passed since a gunman opened fire near the library of Clark Atlanta University, leaving four students shot. While the victims and the school are healing, investigators are no closer to finding the suspect who did it.
Now, an Atlanta councilwoman is upping the ante by offering an extra $3,000 to Crime Stoppers' $2,000 reward with the hope it will entice anyone who may have some answers.
"Were hoping that that will start getting someone in the community talking. They haven't said anything, and I'm sending a plea out to the public," implored Councilwoman Cleta Wilson from Cleopas R. Johnson Park, Sunday. "Somebody out there knows who this person is."
Police released video of the suspected gunman who they said left four young women shot Tuesday night in the heart of the Atlanta University Center, just hours before the start of the first day of classes. Despite that, police have still not identified him, a hurdle that Wilson said she is frustrated they haven't yet been able to overcome.
"There is video of this person and there were four young students who, but for no other reason than they were just there on the campus of the AU Center, they got shot and injured," the District 4 representative said. "You wouldn't want that to happen to your daughter, or to have happen to your niece, or to have that happen to your sister, or to have it happen to your granddaughter, so I'm asking for you to look into your heart because someone knows who this person is."
Since the shooting, Wilson said she has met with students - like she has done in years past - to assure them that local leaders and the Atlanta Police Department are working together to put a plan in place to ensure that students feel they are being protected.
Among those steps being taken is a strengthened partnership between the campuses of Clark, Spelman and Morehouses and the police "not only to strengthen that partnership, but also to provide additional safety for our college students." It also includes increased foot patrols by Zone 1 Atlanta Police officers.
"This is the message I want our young people to understand: it's very important for them to know there are persons outside the AU Center community that love them, want to keep them safe and we have their best interest at heart, and we are doing things to make that happen," Wilson said, adding that she would be introducing other legislation at the next city council meeting. "I want them to know I'm here to serve them, as well."
As for a possible charges for the gunman if and when he's caught, Wilson said she wants to see punishment to the full extent.
"Anybody that would just come up on a school campus and just indiscriminately start firing deserves as much time as the law could give the," she said.
Wilson said her focus is finding a solution and bringing justice for the shooting that left her shaken.
"I've had several sleepless nights as a result of this," she said. "Any time a shooting happens in my district ...As an elected official, it's not one vs another. All of them are treated the same.
"What I'm saying to you in terms my heart is hurting because Clark Atlanta University School of Social Work is my school, I also worked at Morehouse College and in addition to that, I received an award from Spelman. So, I have an affinity with each one of these schools. So, it's not just that it's District 4, it's that they're my family."
