Family says man killed outside grocery store on Easter wasn’t target, got caught in crossfire

ATLANTA — Atlanta police are looking for suspects who opened fire outside a grocery store on Easter Sunday.

The shooting happened outside the Super Value off James Jackson Parkway in northwest Atlanta. One man was killed. A teenage girl was shot and showed up at a fire station for help.

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Family members of the victims told Channel 2′s Steve Gehlbach that they believe the victims were not the intended targets.

“It’s got to stop man. It’s got to stop,” said Owen Thomas.

Thomas’ brother-in-law was shot in the back and rushed to the hospital but did not survive.

“He was not the target, he was an innocent bystander just like the young 16 year old,” Thomas said.

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Atlanta police say a 16-year-old girl was shot twice in her shoulder. Someone drove her away from the scene in front of the grocery store around 9 p.m. Sunday. She ended up at the fire station on Hollywood Road a mile away.

“Life is worth something…somebody life worth something. Now we got a whole family that’s mourning,” Thomas said.

APD homicide detectives and crime scene investigators spent hours into the early morning processing the large crime scene. Channel 2 Action News This Morning reported live from the scene.

Detectives went through dozens of evidence markers from shell casings to trash littering the parking lot. Police are still searching for the shooter or shooters. The family has this message for them: they are tired of the guns and violence.

“Just don’t come taking innocent lives, innocent people’s lives. And it’s just not right. This got to stop!” Thomas said.

The only description from police is that they are looking for a dark colored SUV. Gehlbach checked back with APD and they could only say it was an active and fluid investigation.

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