DECATUR, Ga. — A woman found a man shot dead at a park in Decatur early on Friday morning, according to Atlanta Police Department.
She was walking with her dog through Shoal Creek Park around 8 a.m. in Decatur when she saw a white sedan with the doors open. Once she got closer, the woman discovered a man inside the car with several gunshot wounds, police said.
A couple, Ally and Riley Smith, were walking their dog in the area later in the day with no knowledge that it was a crime scene hours before.
"I’ve heard of possibly crazy things happening here,” Riley said, adding later that the area is a hotspot for drug deals.
The car the victim was found in is registered to another person, and investigators are reaching out to gather more information. Homicide detectives found multiple shell casings around it.
“It is startling to live here and hear that, especially a park that we bring our dog to all the time,” Riley Smith said, adding that the couple would start taking their dog walks in daylight hours.
APD has not identified the victim but stated they believe they know him. They did say the victim was in his 20s. Police transported the victim to the medical examiner for fingerprinting in hopes of confirming his identity.
The department said the victim was transported to the medical examiner for fingerprinting in hopes of confirming identification. There's no information from APD about what led to the shooting, and they have not made any arrests.
This is a developing story. Check back often for new information.
Also download the 11Alive News app and sign up to receive alerts for the latest on this story and other breaking news in Atlanta and north Georgia.