ATLANTA — Atlantans living in a high-density residential neighborhood are even more fearful of stepping outside their doors than they already have been, because of random, violent crime.
Home security cameras in the Morningside community of northeast Atlanta recorded bursts of semi-automatic gunfire on E. Morningside Drive early Tuesday morning that woke up residents and had them calling 911, in fear for their lives.
The videos show flashes of gunfire erupting from two moving cars driving back and forth on the street. It happened just before 5:30 a.m. Each round sounds like it’s coming from high-powered, semi-automatic rifles.
Residents posted the videos on Nextdoor.
Later, they started finding shells in their yards, from what they believe came from AK-47-type rifles, and they called police back to collect that possible evidence.
Atlanta Police said initially that, this time, none of the rounds entered any homes or struck anyone, as it has occurred in previous, random and fatal drive-by shootings across the city.
APD crime numbers show that shooting incidents alone are up 40 percent so far this year over the same period in 2020, and up 56 percent so far this year compared with the same period in 2019.
The Morningside Lenox Park Association is alerting residents that there will be a virtual Town Hall meeting on Wednesday of next week with the Police Zone 6 commander and Atlanta Police Chief Rodney Bryant.
A spokesperson with Atlanta Police said Tuesday night that the department is increasing patrols in the Morningside neighborhood, as the entire city battles violent crime that is increasing.