Man in ICU after shooting near NCAA tournament at State Farm Arena
The Brief
A shooting occurred near the intersection of Luckie and Mills streets in downtown Atlanta, critically injuring a 42-year-old man from Charlotte, North Carolina.
The victim was initially reported dead but was revived and is now in ICU at Grady Memorial Hospital; no suspects are in custody.
The incident happened just before the NCAA Men's Basketball South Regional Sweet Sixteen game, but the victim's presence in Atlanta is not linked to the tournament.
ATLANTA - The beginning of a busy weekend in downtown Atlanta has turned violent.
Police are investigating a shooting just blocks away from State Farm Arena, where the Sweet 16 of the NCAA College Basketball tournament is getting underway.
What we know
The shooting was reported at around 6:35 p.m. Friday near the intersection of Luckie and Mills streets.
According to the Atlanta Police Department, officers arrived on the scene to find a male with an apparent gunshot wound.
He was rushed to an area hospital in critical condition. "A 42-year-old male out of Charlotte, North Carolina... was transported to Grady Memorial Hospital, where he is currently in ICU," said Lt. Andrew Smith, commander of Atlanta's homicide unit.
Although early reports mistakenly said the man had died, Smith confirmed otherwise: "Grady was able to bring him back in the trauma room, where he was taken to the operating room and is now in ICU."
Investigators say a man approached a group of people, who were gathered on a sidewalk, and exchanged words with the group before gunfire erupted.
What we don't know
Police have not yet interviewed the victim due to his condition, but surveillance video showed communication between him and others at the scene.
No suspects are currently in custody.
The circumstances surrounding the shooting remain under investigation.
Smith said there is no indication the Charlotte man was in town for the NCAA tournament.
Dig deeper
The city of Atlanta is playing host to the NCAA Men's Basketball South Regional, featuring Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight matchups this weekend.
The shooting took place a few minutes before the tipoff between the No. 6 Ole Miss Rebels and the No. 2 Michigan State Spartans.
The Source
The details in this article were provided by the Atlanta Police Department. Additional details on the NCAA Men's Basketball tournament come from previous FOX 5 Atlanta reporting. This story has been updated since it was originally published to give updates provided by APD during a press conference later in the evening during which investigators disclosed the man had not been killed, the department originally said.
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