Chaos erupted at an Austell cellphone repair store on Friday afternoon, leading to a shooting that injured two individuals. The violent confrontation began around 3 p.m. in the 5200 block of Austell Road, within a strip mall, and later spilled into a nearby parking lot, according to FOX 5 Atlanta.
Witnesses reported that the altercation involved three teenagers, and it commenced after a phone repair at the PHONE RUSH + IPHONE REPAIR store. "No argument or nothing. I felt like the suspect was trying to steal whatever the victim had, and he just pulled the out the gun on the victim," a witness inside the store at the time of the incident told FOX 5 Atlanta. The skirmish quickly escalated and gunfire ensued, prompting a response from local law enforcement.
The Austell Police Department, bolstered by assistance from the Cobb County Police Department, the FAST team, K-9 Unit, and Drone Unit, conducted a search operation following the shooting. The efforts led to the apprehension of two suspects, a 17-year-old who had been shot and a 19-year-old. Both were taken into custody, and the injured suspect received medical treatment before being released from the hospital, as detailed by 11Alive.
During the investigation, a sister of one victim, a 15-year-old South Cobb High School student revealed to FOX 5 Atlanta her fears upon hearing of the shooting. "That scared me. I was thinking he was gonna die. I was just like panicking. I was rushing here. Hoping that he is good and everything," she said. Police have not disclosed the conditions of the injured parties as the inquiry moves forward with evidence collection, canvassing for witnesses, and reviewing surveillance footage.
Both suspects arrested in connection to the violence have been charged with aggravated assault, and they currently await possible further charges while being held at the Cobb County Detention Center.
