DeKalb County

Witnesses say they ducked for cover during shootings at DeKalb shopping plaza

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DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A shootout at a DeKalb County shopping plaza left one man dead and others injured.

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It was one of two shootings at the same plaza on South Hairston Road in two days.

“[I’m] really kind of in disbelief. I was really disgusted,” one witness to Channel 2’s Audrey Washington. “It’s just not fair that we have to suffer because people do ignorant things,” he said.

According to a witness, who asked not to be identified for fear of retaliation, the shooting started over an argument about a child at a nearby nail salon.

“The lady never got disrespected. All it was, it was over ‘Do you need help with your child?’

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The witness said a woman inside the salon called her boyfriend.

He said the boyfriend, then confronted another man at the salon. He said seconds later, the two men started shooting at each other.

DeKalb County police said 22-year-old Antionne Ryan died. Two others were hurt.

The next day, at the same shopping plaza, there was more gunfire.

Investigators said on Saturday afternoon, a car pulled up at the plaza, and a group of people jumped out of the car and started shooting.

Bullets hit one man inside the restaurant and broken glass injured one woman.

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While at the scene on Monday, Washington pointed out several bullet holes both outside and inside the restaurant.

Ironically, the shooting happened near a kids’ academy, where a sign outside the building reads, ‘Stop the Violence.’

The shooters in Saturday’s incident, according to police, drove away, then crashed their car and ran into the woods.

“To me, it’s just senseless. For no reason, people are just shooting,” the witness said.

In an email about Friday’s shooting, DeKalb County police wrote:

“Criminal charges are not expected to be filed in this incident.”

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