DUNWOODY, Ga. — A victim who was injured after an explosion erupted at a Dunwoody apartment complex earlier this week is speaking out, lawyers say.
Jasmine Johnson spoke publicly Thursday morning inside the Stewart Miller Simmons Trial Attorneys offices in Atlanta. She talked about the "horrific experience" at 11 a.m. You can watch the full press conference on the 11Alive YouTube channel.
On Sunday Sept. 12, an explosion ripped through the Arrive Perimeter complex at 2000 Asbury Square. At the time, fire officials said four people were hurt and hospitalized. They said one person suffered a burn and another had a fractured leg, but they did not specify what kind of injuries the other two people sustained.
Johnson said she was sleeping that Sunday when her dog started whimpering. That's when she says she stood up and the explosion thrusted her into the apartment wall, injuring her shoulder.
"Your home is supposed to be your safety net and I don't think I can -- I don't ever want to go back to that place," Johnson said.
An alarm sounded as she and neighbors rushed outside. Johnson says she encountered a woman in her underwear bloody and covered in scratches who frantically pleaded with her to "call 911."
"The next thing, I called my mom who is back in California. I FaceTimed her to let her know I was scared and that something happened to my apartment building and that I can smell gas so strong," Johnson said.
Johnson says she was smelling gas for nearly three days. Her attorneys claim residents at the apartments have been complaining about ongoing gas leaks for months now, and that the building managers and owners were aware of those issues.
"I'd seen a man in the dog park with his leg contorted, broken, bleeding. People screaming, hysterical, complaining about the gas smelling so strong and I was so scared," she said.
Although police reportedly also noticed a "strong smell of gas," the cause of the explosion has not been determined yet. Atlanta Gas Light said the agency had crews on scene assisting first responders when the incident happened.
"This explosion, man, it hit the whole block. It was felt (by) like four complexes at least, the whole block felt it," a witness, Richmond Punch, said. "Explosion - bam! Like a bomb, like a helicopter, or like as if somebody crashed a car into the apartments. It was crazy."
The attorneys for Sherelle Baker, another person who was hurt, said their client is still shaken by what happened. Attorney with Morgan & Morgan Dylan Bess said Baker just happened to be at the property to meet with a co-worker who lives there and was in the car when bricks went flying.
"She was knocked unconscious when it happened," he explained. "She's been discharged from the hospital, but still just struggling, I think emotionally, and coming to grips with what she experienced."
Johnson's attorneys says a lawsuit hasn't been filed yet, but they're expecting to file one in the future.