DECATUR, Ga. — A neighbor who had to make a horrifying call is still shaken up after a shooting at a DeKalb County home left a teen and a man dead on Thursday evening.
Police were dispatched to a shooting around 7 p.m. near Pleasant Forrest Drive - a Decatur neighborhood off of Wesley Chapel Road. The neighborhood is near the Golden Glide Skating Rink, which has dealt with crime in the past.
When officers arrived at the home, they saw a 22-year-old man lying in the driveway and said he'd been shot. Later, DeKalb Police found a 16-year-old who'd been shot inside the home in the back part of the house.
A resident who lives in the area said he was the one who made the gruesome discovery and called 911. Spencer Williams said he was at home with his daughter when he heard several gunshots.
"We heard a spray of gunshots," Williams said. "I immediately took the time, checked on my daughter, came outside and noticed someone yelling in our front yard. Another couple came running down the street looking for their brother. That’s when we discovered there was another young man sitting on the side of the house, a 16-year-old who was also shot and wounded.”
Williams said he did not know either of the victims. He showed 11Alive five bullet holes etched in his home, but he said there was no other damage that he could find.
EMS rushed the two to a local hospital, where police said they later died. Williams said he noticed a third person drive off from the scene, but when 11Alive asked DeKalb County about a motive and a possible search for a suspect in this case, police said they did not have any updates to share.
Another neighbor who's lived in the area for 45 years said he would like to have more police patrolling. Claude Ikner admitted that even an increased police presence might not stop every crime.
"Life is lost, and I don’t think we pay close attention to people that are killed," Ikner said. "I think about death all around this area, all across this country. Some people you just can’t save. My heart goes out to the family that lost their children. It’s somebody’s child, some grandparent’s child, and it kills off another generation of black men in the community.”
Since the shooting, Williams has considered installing additional security cameras but noted that the neighborhood is relatively quiet.
"Don’t be so sensitive. Life ain’t that hard out here," Williams said. "Guns ain’t the answer. Talk stuff through. I’d rather get in a fist fight than to be sitting out here trying to kill somebody. It’s just time for us to grow up, stop killing each other. We’ve got too many young folks dying out here.”
This is a developing story. Check back often for new information.
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