ATLANTA — A condemned Atlanta apartment complex is back in the news this week after five people were shot early on Monday, including one 13-year-old.
This happened at one of the three Forest Cove properties off Thomasville Boulevard just before 2 a.m. According to the police report, one of the victims was shot in the head.
Police said people were gathered outside the complex when others showed up and started shooting. The department is investigating and searching for suspects.
Atlanta's District Attorney said in a meeting with other officials last week that the complex is one of the worst for gang activity and vowed to start cracking down.
There was a double shooting near another Forest Cove property at 990 New Town Circle SE in March. One person died, and another was injured. APD has not provided any updates in that case.
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Then in 2019, there was a 'massive brawl' at the complex off McDonough Avenue. The fight, captured on Instagram, showed dozens of children and adults physically attacking each other in an apartment courtyard in southeast Atlanta.
The Atlanta Police Department said in 2019 that problems at Forest Cove Apartments are “compounded by a lack of cooperation by witnesses when officers arrived on scene.”
Data released by Atlanta Police after the 2019 brawl showed that officers responded to the apartments over 130 times since June 2018 - for reports of violent crime, including shootings, stabbings and rape.
The Forest Cove apartments are often referred to as “4 Seasons” by those who have lived there. It’s served as the backdrop for everything from rap videos to grainy cellphone clips of street fights and even documentaries.
The apartment complex was condemned in December of 2021 following reports that the units were falling apart inside, letting rats and roaches take over. This closure impacted over 200 families who needed to be relocated.
Mayor Andre Dickens signed legislation granting the first $1.5 million of a planned $9.1 million city investment to support the residents of Forest Cove.
Early in June, the first families began moving out of the complex and into new homes. In 2021, 11Alive spoke with residents about the living conditions at their complexes.
"It’s deplorable, like, it’s horrible," Laresha Shaw, a resident of the complex in 2021, described. "Nobody should have to live like this. And it’s just getting worser and worser."
And those filthy conditions were not new to the complex. Atlanta police said they responded to 197 code enforcement violations in 2018 at the apartments over four months. From interior and exterior structural damage to junk, trash and debris - the number of offenses became so high that the solicitor’s office began investigating.
"It’s sad when a person would rather be homeless on the street, or staying in a shelter, than to be living in something like that, and I feel like that’s going to be my next step for me and my kids," Shaw added.
The complex was a Section 8, project-based housing and was owned by Global ministries and managed by Ohio-based, The Millennia Company.
When the apartment was condemned, it also caused issues for the surrounding schools. It ultimately forced the closure of Thomasville Heights Elementary School because so many of the school's students lived at Forest Cove. According to Purpose Built Schools Atlanta, which owned Thomasville Heights, 75% of students who attended the school lived at Forest Cove.
The management group that owned Thomasville HIeights Elementary, Purpose Built Schools Atlanta (PBSA), said they are looking to Drew Charter School, which is not affiliated with PBSA, to model the turnaround of its four schools.
The three Forest Cove properties have a long history of terrible living conditions and high crime, even now, after it's been condemned. The APD Urban Planning & Management, LLC and Open Doors, in partnership with the City of Atlanta, the Community Foundation, and The Millennia Companies, are helping families with relocation steps from the property.