A Lyft run in southeast Atlanta turned into a nightmare Monday evening, according to a driver who says her passengers casually claimed they had just shot a man. Police later found a 30-year-old man wounded on Sawtell Avenue SE and are now investigating. The driver recalls the moments after the shooting as terrifying, with masked men sprinting toward her car and insisting she take them.
Speaking with FOX 5 Atlanta, Darilyn Murriell said she initially picked up a woman who then asked Murriell to drive her "brothers." Moments later, Murriell saw two masked men run to her vehicle. She told the station the group claimed they had just shot a man who had been giving them a tattoo.
According to the Atlanta Police Department, officers were dispatched to the 300 block of Sawtell Avenue SE just before 7:30 p.m., where they found a 30-year-old man suffering from a gunshot wound. Authorities say the victim was alert and breathing as medics took him to a nearby hospital.
Murriell said that when she saw the masked men approaching, she tried to drive off but crashed her car in the chaos. She told FOX 5 Atlanta that the people in her vehicle insisted they remain in place and that she "really felt like I was going to get hijacked."
Police Say the Investigation Is Active
The Atlanta Police Department says detectives have not yet identified any suspects and have not confirmed the driver’s account. Investigators are canvassing the surrounding area, looking for witnesses and any surveillance footage that might help them reconstruct what happened.
Where This Fits in the City’s Crime Picture
Across Atlanta, homicides declined last year, even as shootings continue to erupt in certain pockets of the metro area. Local reporting has noted that officials are trying to curb gun violence with targeted enforcement and community programs. As The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports, city leaders credit a mix of technology, community partnerships and enforcement strategies as part of the broader effort.
Rideshare Safety Concerns
Murriell’s account arrives against a backdrop of other troubling incidents involving rideshare drivers in the region. Federal authorities recently detailed a December case in which escaped inmates terrorized a Lyft driver while trying to get out of the Atlanta area. That episode, covered by AP News, underscored how a routine pickup can suddenly become part of a criminal investigation.
Anyone with information about Monday’s shooting is asked to call the Atlanta Police non-emergency line at 404-658-6666 or submit tips through the department’s online portal. Detectives say eyewitness accounts and video from cell phones or nearby cameras can be critical in identifying suspects and closing the case.
