ATLANTA — Will Hinton grew up in Atlanta and has seen the city transform over the years. Part of Midtown, along Ponce de Leon Avenue, has been an area in transition. The Beltline, Ponce City Market and a host of new businesses have popped up in the area after years of gaining a reputation for crime.
“It’s way different than it was say 20 or 30 years ago," Hinton said. "There’s a reason they called it 'Murder Kroger.' I feel a lot safer now than I did years ago, even when we hear of these things.”
Hinton was shocked to learn about a DoorDash driver being shot in the back Tuesday. Atlanta Police said officers responded to the shooting around 9:20 p.m. at Ponce de Leon Place. According to authorities, two men were shot, though it's not clear what led up to the shooting. Police said both men were alert, breathing and conscious when taken to the hospital. However, their conditions were unspecified.
"People doing DoorDash, Uber, Lyft, these are people who the rest of us rely on," Hinton said. "They’re not making great money. A lot of times they’re having to work extra jobs and they’re putting themselves in positions where you hope it doesn’t come to things like this.”
Emma Nare said she would upgrade security at her salon because of the shooting.
"It's alarming. Right now, I just have a Ring doorbell that alerts me when someone's outside," Nare said. "It doesn't actually trip to an alarm system if someone were to break in. This instance has definitely made me want to upgrade my security."
Nare said businesses in the area would have to stick together and help keep each other safe.
In May, a DoorDash driver was shot while delivering food to an apartment complex on Campbellton Road in Southwest Atlanta. Police were not sure if the victim was targeted.
A DoorDash spokesperson sent 11Alive this statement in response to Tuesday's shooting:
"The safety of our community is extremely important to us, and we are deeply saddened by reports of this tragic, senseless incident. We are actively working to obtain more information and are in contact with local law enforcement as they investigate this horrific crime."
DoorDash said whenever it was made aware of an incident involving a driver, its 24/7 Trust & Safety team investigates, reaches out, provides support and engages with law enforcement as needed.
The company also launched SafeDash, a toolkit within the app that is designed to keep drivers safe.