ATLANTA — An argument led to a 15-year-old being shot in the Oakland City neighborhood, Atlanta Police Department said. Officers said they received a report that someone was shot at 1193 Oakland Ln SW around 10:10 a.m. on Monday.
They found a 15-year-old boy with gunshot wounds; he was taken to the hospital. APD said the teen was shot through his arm and stomach.
Investigators with APD's aggravated assault unit said after looking over the initial information they have, they believe the 15-year-old was hanging outside the residence with friends when a white Kia drove up. The two people in the Kia asked a question to the group with the 15-year-old, APD said. This started an argument, which ended in gunfire.
Residents in the area are angry about the violence. Tiffany Ellis said the teen shot ended up bleeding outside her door until an ambulance arrived.
"This happened right outside my children's window," she said. "The bullet could have very well shot one of my kids or my granddaughter."
She said he screamed and hollered after being hit by the gunfire.
"No child should know what it feels like to be shot," Ellis said.
At the State Capitol Monday, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens told 11Alive that APD crime data shows a majority of recent crimes -- especially shootings and homicides -- are the result of arguments that escalate.
"It's disturbing that almost half of our crimes are issues that escalate. These are not strangers that are being involved in these killings. This is not random. These are things that can be avoided. A lot of domestic issues so we're working on that. That's not just cops with badges and gun solution. This is a community response. This is something that we need to learn to settle disputes in a better way," the mayor said.
Dickens spoke alongside state lawmakers as they discussed their focus on cracking down on crime in Atlanta. With a goal of hiring 250 more officers this year, the mayor said applications for open jobs are trending upward.
As for the shooting, no arrests have been made yet.