ATLANTA — Atlanta police said they are increasing patrols at Lenox Square in Buckhead, following a shooting on Friday.
The suspect in the case is still on the run. But, it's now the most recent - the sixth, to be exact - shooting at the mall since last holiday season.
Business owners surrounding the shopping center in the high-end neighborhood have dealt with a lot this year - from COVID restrictions, to looting during the summer. Now, they're having to cope with a continued climb in recent crime.
Brandon Pena, the general manager or Roasters, has been holding the position with the restaurant for five years. He told 11Aive "Nothing like this has happened in the past 30 years.”
Every night, security patrols the parking lot where the restaurant is located. It’s not far from Lenox - which saw it’s sixth shooting in the past year over the weekend. And earlier in the month, police said a man tried to rape a woman near an entrance to the mall.
Crime in the Buckhead area has long remained a concern. It prompted the owner of Roasters to install bullet-proof glass around the building some years ago.
“We have been broken into before,” Pena said.
The glass prevented the restaurant from being broken into during a night of rioting over the summer. Some nearby businesses didn’t fare as well.
But even with the rise in crime and property damage, Pena said the COVID-19 pandemic is what nearly brought the restaurant to the ground.
“We didn’t have business to give everyone employment," he explained. "Are we still going to be able to work?”
Despite it all, the restaurant said it's still open, and seeing an increase in businesses as the holidays approach. But it has been tough, and Pena said he's hoping nothing else prevents them from serving their customers, including during a social-distanced Thanksgiving meal pick-up.
“Just got to do what we gotta do this year," he said.
Meanwhile, the Buckhead Coalition said it's working with police and neighborhood organizations to come up with a plan to improve safety overall.