FOREST PARK, Ga. — A chain of events on Sunday afternoon left a Forest Park neighborhood rattled.
On Tuesday, neighbors recalled hearing the gunshots followed by a loud bang on Bartlett Road. Forest Park Police said they believe the shooting happened at the intersection of Watts Road and Bartlett Road before the victim threw his car in reverse, crashing into a parked car then a mailbox before coming to a stop in the road.
The scene along Bartlett Road hasn't changed much besides the victim's car being towed away after the crime scene was released on Tuesday evening. You can still see a white Chevrolet sedan with the front end damaged on the side of the street and a torn down mailbox a few hundred feet behind the car.
A woman who lives near the intersection, who didn't want to be identified, said she heard at least two gunshots Sunday afternoon. However, she said that really didn't phase her. It was the loud "bang" she heard near her home seconds later that rattled her enough so that she walked outside to see what all the commotion was about.
When she opened her door, she saw a car wrecked sideways down the street.
In the meantime, another neighbor was already outside after hearing all the bangs. She also didn't want to be identified but said she when she first looked out, she didn't see anyone in the vehicle. She described the driver and passenger seats as laid back so far back that you couldn't see anyone inside the vehicle until you walked right up to the doors.
She dialed 911 and quickly realized this was more than just a crash. She recalled blood on the dash and all over the driver and passenger. She also said she saw a gun in the vehicle. By this time, both women were looking around inside the vehicle. Both said the two young men seemed to be lifeless.
Neither recalled seeing anyone around the car and said all the doors were shut and windows were rolled up.
On Tuesday, family members identified the victims as 21-year-old Jonathan Zuniga and his cousin 23-year-old Edwin Dominguez.
Forest Park Police Chief Brandon Criss said while his detectives are still trying to narrow down a motive, it's appearing this was a "drug transaction that went wrong."
"After both victims were shot, that's when they struck another car," Chief Criss explained.
The woman who heard the gunshots said her neighbor actually saw who they believe is the shooter. She said he told them the young man was at the intersection of Watts and Bartlett Roads picking up shell casings before he took off running on foot.
She said by the time Forest Park Police and Clayton County sheriff's deputies got on scene, he was long gone.
The woman said it's their understanding that the shooter was outside the car and fired into the vehicle, hitting both Zuniga and Dominguez. Chief Criss said they are still trying to piece everything together but believes the shooter was in the vehicle with the victims until whatever happened at the intersection of Watts and Bartlett Roads.
In an online campaign the victim's family said they are devastated, two beautiful souls taken too soon.
"They were taken from us at such a young age. They had a life full of ambitious goals ahead of them. If you knew them, you would know how smart, humble, and hard working young men they were. If you had the opportunity to meet them, I'm sure you would agree as well," the fundraising page states.
On Tuesday, neighbors said they were sad to hear how young the victims were, saying no matter what the circumstances, it wasn't worth taking someone's life over.
Chief Criss said they are increasing patrols in the neighborhood to make sure neighbors feel safe.
He said this is their second and third homicides of the year. As of Tuesday night, he confirmed his detectives hadn't named a suspect but said he's confident they'll give these families justice. The chief added that this team solved their first homicide that happened over the summer.
Chief Criss said the GBI is as assisting with the crime scene forensics on this deadly double shooting and the autopsies of both victims.
Anyone with information on this double homicide is asked to call Forest Park Police at (404) 366-4720 or Crime Stoppers Greater Atlanta at 404-577-TIPS(8477) or e-mail the anonymous information using the online form at www.crimestoppersatlanta.org. The tip can result in a reward up to $2,000 to the individual who supplied the information needed to solve the case.