Atlanta Police Department addresses ‘senseless’ crime as city surpasses 100 homicides so far this year

By Zac Summers

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    ATLANTA (WGCL) — Atlanta police are pleading for calm after a violent weekend, increasing the city’s growing murder rate.

“Put down the guns!” That’s the message Atlanta police wants the community to hear after the city surpassed 100 homicides over the weekend.

“We’re just seeing a lot of senseless acts of violence in community,” said Chief Deputy Charles Hampton Jr., during a press conference on Monday.

Late Friday, Robert Bankston and Cedrika Smith were gunned down at a home on Sells Avenue. Lamorris Godfrey is accused of killing the two siblings. Early Sunday, there was a triple homicide outside the Ultra Kiss Lounge in Southwest Atlanta.

A woman was also stabbed and carjacked Sunday near Piedmont and Ponce De Leon. The victim was taken to the hospital and is expected to survive. Police arrested Robert Trigger in connection to the crime after he crashed the woman’s car not too far away.

“We’re still trying to determine all the particulars on that incident,” Hampton said. “Whether or not the suspect and victim knew one another, but we are definitely happy to say we caught the individual.”

This year’s homicide rate is outpacing last year’s numbers. The city has now recorded more than 100 homicides compared to 92 this time last year.

“Although we may not solve every single homicide right away, within 58 hours or 72 hours, our clearance rate of 75% shows that we will do everything in our power to make sure we bring the people responsible for taking the lives of other individuals responsible and bring them to justice,” Hampton said.

Hampton said 20 percent of homicide victims knew their killer and 90 percent of this year’s murders involve handguns.

“We’re seeing a lot of people getting into verbal arguments that escalate and the weapon of choice is handguns,” Hampton said. “They had some type of past interaction and it’s also stemming from some escalating dispute.”

He’s pleading for those with guns to find other ways to settle their disputes.

“Talk or just simply walk away,” Hampton said.

Police are expected to release more details about the stabbing incident in the coming days.

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