A 27-year-old man was shot and killed in DeKalb County following what police believe was a drug deal gone wrong. The incident, which took place late at night at a Chevron gas station near Flat Shoals Parkway and Snapfinger Road, ended with Nicolas Grierson dead from a gunshot wound to the neck. According to 11Alive, detectives say the victim attempted to flee during a drug purchase, which led to the fatal shooting.
Authorities said that as the victim accelerated, the shooter fired, hitting him while his foot was still on the gas. His car then rolled across the street out of control, crashing into various objects. In the wake of increasing violence at this location, with a previous incident of a store clerk beaten to death in January, local residents are rattled. Ronecia Jones, who lives and works nearby, told Atlanta News First, "I heard, like, a big thunder. I’m afraid. Yeah, this is too close to home."
DeKalb County police are continuing their hunt for three suspects involved in the shooting, with one identified as the alleged gunman. In an effort to thwart such criminal activity, DeKalb County officials have recently enforced security ordinances for businesses. Former commissioner Lorraine Cochran-Johnson spearheaded these ordinances, which appear to have aided law enforcement by providing better quality surveillance footage.
Despite facing initial pushback, some of the requirements were relaxed to ease compliance for businesses. "The provision requiring that each gas pump have a dedicated camera was removed," Cochran-Johnson clarified in an interview with 11Alive. After the reduction of the storage requirement from 60 to 30 days, "that brought over 40 percent of the gas and service stations who were out of compliance within the compliance measures," she added. Meanwhile, the police urge anyone with information to come forward, offering anonymity to tipsters through Crime Stoppers. Those with information are encouraged to reach out to the DeKalb County Police Department or visit www.stopcrimeATL.com to help with the ongoing investigation.
