ATLANTA — Police are investigating a shooting on the outskirts of Georgia State University’s campus Tuesday afternoon.
“Another day in Atlanta,” said Derrick Matthews, who owns a barber shop nearby.
He told Channel 2’s Courtney Francisco that gunfire erupted right outside the shop on Broad St. SW around 2 p.m.
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It’s right across the street from Georgia State’s College of Business.
“I mean, you can kind of normalized violence, but, for me, it’s still really shocking to think people are hurting each other like that, and in broad daylight,” said Karen Patten. “I attended Georgia State for undergrad and grad school, and I work in the area now.”
Officers said calls for help first came in as a double shooting. After gathering evidence, police confirmed one person was shot.
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They said he is 26 years old. They said a bullet hit him in the face, and he was awake and alert when he arrived at the hospital.
“Blessing and prayers to families and people that were impacted,” Matthews said.
Violence so close to campus left Patten thinking about safety.
In 2023, university leadership pledged to spend $3 million to upgrade security.,
GSU has invested in infrastructure such as surveillance cameras, lighting enhancements, and the GSU Blue Line. That’s a well-lit, camera-monitored pedestrian route through campus.
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New blue light emergency towers were upgraded with call boxes and enhanced walkways as part of this effort.
A spokesperson wrote in a statement:
“We also operate the largest campus police department in Georgia with more than 170 sworn officers working 24/7. Our police officers patrol campuses, monitor events, and collaborate closely with local law enforcement agencies, including the Atlanta Police Department, to ensure student safety across all GSU locations.”
“I guess it’s just the wrong timing, wrong place,” Matthews said. “That’s pretty much all it is. This is pretty much a safe location.”
“I would probably avoid any isolated areas or where you find yourself alone,” Patten said. “I typically walk down Peachtree Street because you have pretty good lines of visibility. So, you have other people that can at least be a witness to what is happening.”
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