ATLANTA, GA – Tragedy unfolded in Atlanta after a 19-year-old mother, caught in crossfire near Georgia State University’s Atlanta branch, passed away on Sunday due to severe injuries sustained during a shooting a week prior.
On October 27 around 5 a.m., an argument among a group of individuals escalated into a shooting at a RaceTrac convenience store located in downtown Atlanta, according to information from the Atlanta Police Department. De’Asia Hart, an aspiring lawyer and mother to a one-year-old daughter, along with three other victims, was subsequently shot during the incident.
According to Lt. Germain Dearlove, Atlanta Police Homicide Commander, none of the four victims had any direct involvement in the fight that triggered the shooting incident. The three other victims – one male and two females – were able to get themselves to a hospital to treat their non-life-threatening gunshot injuries.
Hart was critically injured and, despite receiving immediate medical attention, succumbed to her injuries a week later. Paying tribute to their loved one, Hart’s family released a sadness-ridden statement, sharing Hart’s passion for law and her dreams of going to school in the upcoming Spring season. Amid their grief, the family also emphasized their plea for justice and called for improvements to gun control in the city.
Atlanta police have released surveillance images of three individuals suspected in connection with the shooting, although no arrests have been made as of yet. A funeral for Hart is slated for Saturday at the Friendship Missionary Baptist Church in Americus.
The family has urged anyone with information pertinent to the shooting to aid the police in their investigation and had specific questions regarding GSU’s actions as well as police response during the incident.