ATLANTA — An Atlanta community is still trying to make sense of how a neighborhood celebration ended with a major shooting, again, even with off-duty Atlanta Police presence.
Neighbors call it "Mechanicsville Day." Mechanicsville Civic Association president Dr. David Holder describes it as a reunion where Mechanicsville residents, past and present, can come together to celebrate.
A spokesperson for Atlanta Police says, shortly after 10 p.m. Saturday, officers responded to Windsor Street after hearing several gunshots while in the area. Five people have been confirmed shot -- three teens and two women. One woman remains in the hospital in critical condition. The homicide unit is involved.
Ocie Fulford said he's a 17-year resident of Mechanicsville. He said "Mechanicsville Day" has changed drastically over the years.
"It used to be an event where there was a parade in the morning with high school kids. So, you have the community coming out -- the people who currently lived in the community, at that time," Fulford said. "There was a gospel concert. And the whole event ended at about seven o'clock."
Holder said, these days, "Mechanicsville Day," is more like a block party that creeps later into the night than it should. He believes the celebration should end by 5 p.m.
"There's always some kind of stream to the 'Mechanicsville Day' and people wanting to come by and do drive-by shootings," Holder said.
History keeps repeating itself. Last year, on Sep. 9, three people were shot near the intersection of Windsor Street and Richardson Street. It was described by the community as "Mechanicsville Day" as well.
"It's always youth from the outside that are coming over and disrupting the community," Holder said.
Fulford said his 15-year-old son was there. His son said he saw an argument escalate into a shooting, hearing the bullets whizzing by. Fulford said when he showed up at the scene shortly before it happened, he held his breath.
"You see sneakers laying beside a car. And you don't know the person that's laying on the ground. And you call for your child and they don't answer the phone, a lot of things go over you," Fulford said.
Fulford said his son is fine. And he's made an earlier curfew for the time being.
11Alive's Tresia Bowles has covered the history of violence in Mechanicsville previously. Last summer, she reported on the details of five different shootings in the same year. You can read it here.
Atlanta Police's crime index shows over 50 aggravated assaults since then.
11Alive has covered several shootings since then as well. Here's a timeline:
- Sep. 4, 2023, a woman was shot at a gas station.
- Sep. 9, 2023, there was a triple shooting, drive-by.
- Nov. 5, 2023, a woman was stabbed at a gas station.
- On Apr. 19, 2024 there was a deadly shooting.
And, most recently, on Thursday, a woman was shot on Fulton Street.
Holder said he's hoping city leaders will get involved to stop the pattern.
"There's a loophole in the legislation," Holder said. "And it allows large gatherings to be at the park without getting community approval."
Holder and Fulford agree that these gatherings need to end earlier and have authorities completely clear the area quickly. They believe that will help decrease violence -- a goal the association has been working on. Security or police presence has proven to not be enough.
11Alive's Tresia Bowles spoke with a person claiming to be related to the woman still in the hospital. He asks for the family's privacy.
Fulford said the community is set to have a meeting about violence on Tuesday.