A 47-year-old man is facing a stack of charges after Atlanta police say he fired a gun outside a building on Cleveland Avenue SW, then ditched the weapon in a wooded area before officers tracked him down sitting in his car nearby. Jaime Lopez admitted to the shooting when investigators questioned him early Monday, according to police.
Atlanta police arrested Lopez after officers responded to reports of gunfire on Cleveland Avenue SW on Oct. 12, according to FOX 5 Atlanta. Officers arrived at 655 Cleveland Ave. SW at about 1:18 a.m. after a shots-fired call came in from the 600 block, per WSB-TV.
A witness told officers that a man fired a gun before running behind the building, setting off a search of the immediate area. Officers soon spotted a man matching that description sitting inside a vehicle in the parking lot, and that man turned out to be Lopez.
Lopez Confesses, Leads Police to Buried Weapon
When interviewed by police, Lopez admitted to firing the shots and said he had thrown the firearm into a nearby wooded area, the station's report notes. Officers recovered the buried weapon from behind the location, closing out the physical evidence in the case even as the motive remained unclear.
Police haven't said what sparked the gunfire or whether Lopez was targeting anyone, according to the same account. That leaves a central question about the incident unanswered for now.
Charges Pile Up Alongside an Outstanding Warrant
Lopez was charged with aggravated assault, reckless conduct, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and discharging a firearm while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. On top of those new charges, he also had an active arrest warrant issued by the Richmond County Sheriff's Office.
Police transferred Lopez to the Fulton County Jail after his arrest, where he was still being held as of Sunday. No injuries have been confirmed in connection with the gunfire, and police have released no further details on how the case may proceed.
