A Marietta parking lot turned into a crime scene earlier this month when a robbery ended with two people shot and two teenagers in handcuffs, according to police.
Officers responding to the 800 block of Franklin Gateway found an empty car and trails of blood before locating two victims, each with a single gunshot wound. Both were rushed to a local hospital, where police say they are recovering. Detectives say the suspects bolted from the scene but were tracked down nearby, and the investigation is still very much active.
Marietta police reported that 19-year-old Tamar Gremillion was arrested just a few blocks from the parking lot. Investigators later took 17-year-old Jaimere Mayfield into custody after detectives recovered multiple firearms. Both are being held at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center and face multiple felony charges, including two counts each of armed robbery and aggravated assault. Gremillion is also charged with theft by receiving a stolen firearm. Police are asking anyone with information to contact Detective Collazo at 770-794-5363 as the case moves forward, according to FOX 5 Atlanta.
The shooting is the latest in a run of violent incidents along Franklin Gateway, a busy corridor where repeated shootings and consistently high crime at several apartment complexes have been documented by local reporting. An investigation into persistently dangerous complexes flagged multiple Franklin Gateway addresses with dozens of reported crimes in recent years, a pattern that residents and officials say makes policing and redevelopment far tougher than it looks on paper, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Investigation and charges
Detectives say they are still processing evidence from the parking lot and chasing down leads, including information tied to vehicle stops and recovered items. Investigators are conducting additional interviews and forensic work as they build their case against the two teenage suspects.
Local response and safety efforts
For years, business and civic leaders have been trying to flip the script on Franklin Gateway, pushing redevelopment and targeted security investments to interrupt the cycle of violence and neglect. The Gateway Marietta CID's planning report details the corridor's economic and safety challenges and recommends coordinated infrastructure upgrades, stronger property management and focused policing to improve conditions, according to the CID's analysis PDF.
Marietta police say the investigation into the robbery and shooting remains active. Anyone with information is urged to contact Detective Collazo at 770-794-5363 or send tips through the department's tip411 system. Officials say more details will be released as the probe continues.
