ATLANTA — Georgia State University Police are stepping up security efforts starting Thursday night after a chaotic scene last weekend– with shots fired as a huge crowd gathered in the street, which stopped traffic.
Videos posted on social media showed a massive crowd watching people doing donuts in the streets and jumping on cars Saturday night. This was followed by another incident Sunday night, where two groups started shooting at each other near RaceTrac on Piedmont Avenue, which resulted in an innocent bystander getting injured.
GSU student Imani Sykes expressed disbelief and unease about how accessible the campus is to the public.
"I feel like it's really accessible to other people. It just kind of makes you feel uneasy because it's like, well, if anyone can come in here, then you know what can happen? That's how I feel," Sykes said.
Georgia State Police Chief Anthony Coleman said shootings like these are anomalies, and his department is already taking steps to increase security in the area.
"Just in the last week, just in that small area, we added 10 officers and a supervisor just to those areas. And we also have some of our security officers doubling up inside some of those," Coleman said.
Coleman also mentioned that the university is working on adding more streetlights on certain streets, designating certain roads as "no cruise zones," and enforcing parking rules with nearby lot owners. Additionally, his department has reached out to nearby apartments that house GSU students to enforce an ID rule for guests.
While GSU students appreciate the initial steps taken by the university's police, some are unsure if they go far enough to address the security concerns.
"These are good first steps, but I'm not sure if they go far enough," a GSU student said.
As GSU Police ramp up security efforts– including extra patrols and steel plates in the streets, students and residents in the area hope that these measures will help prevent any further incidents of unlawful and unruly behavior.
The situation is developing and 11Alive will continue to follow the story for updates.