A family argument in southwest Atlanta turned into a shooting Saturday night, leaving a 32-year-old woman hospitalized and a relative facing felony charges, according to police.
Officers were called to the 1100 block of Moton Avenue SW after reports of gunfire inside a home. By the time the dust settled, a woman was headed to the hospital and a suspect was on his way to jail.
What police say
Atlanta Police say officers arrived around 7 p.m. and found the woman with gunshot wounds. She was described as “alert, conscious and breathing” when first responders got there and was taken by ambulance to a local hospital, according to FOX 5 Atlanta. Investigators told the outlet they believe the shooting started as a dispute between family members inside the home.
Arrest and charges
Police identified the suspect as 41-year-old Quintavious Vaughn. Investigators say he took off before officers reached the house, but members of the department's A.C.E. (Aggressive Criminal Enforcement) Unit stopped him a short time later and took him into custody.
Vaughn has been charged with aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, according to the Atlanta Police Department.
Legal implications
Under Georgia law, aggravated assault is a felony defined in O.C.G.A. § 16-5-21, and penalties can shift depending on how the crime was committed and who was involved. Georgia also makes it a separate crime to have a gun during the commission of certain felonies under O.C.G.A. § 16-11-106, which can come with a mandatory prison term that runs consecutively to any other sentence. See Justia and Justia for the state code.
How to help
Officials have not released more information about the woman's current condition or what exactly sparked the family dispute inside the Moton Avenue home.
The Atlanta Police Department is asking anyone who saw or heard anything to get in touch through its non-emergency dispatch portal or by phone. Details on how to contact APD are available on the city's request page at Atlanta.gov.
