Georgia Governor Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency on Monday after a surge in shooting over the weekend of July 4 that injured 31 people and killed five after weeks of violent crime and property destruction. in Atlanta.
The measure authorizes the activation of 1,000 National Guard troops to “protect state property and patrol our streets.”
“The peaceful protests were hijacked by criminals with a dangerous and destructive agenda. Now innocent Georgians are under attack, shot and killed,” Kemp, a Republican, said in a statement. “This lawlessness must be stopped and order restored in our capital city. I have declared a state of emergency and called the Georgia Guard because the safety of our citizens comes first.”
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“This measure will allow troops to protect state property and send state law enforcement officers to patrol our streets. Enough talk,” he added. “We must protect the lives and livelihoods of all Georgians.”
Members of the Guard will be assigned to protect state buildings, including the Capitol, the Governor’s Mansion, and the headquarters of the Department of Public Safety. Their presence will free police officers to increase patrols on the roads and in communities, especially in Atlanta, Kemp said.
Among those killed over the holiday weekend was an 8-year-old girl. Secoriea Turner was traveling in a car Saturday night in Atlanta when at least two people opened fire on the vehicle. The shooting occurred near Wendy’s fast food restaurant, where Rayshard Brooks was killed by a police officer last month, sparking weeks of protests and clashes between protesters and police.
Authorities said Turner was in the car with his mother and another adult when the driver attempted to drive through illegally placed barricades to reach a parking lot. A group of armed individuals had blocked the entrance.
At an emotional press conference, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms distorted the shooting suspects.
“You shot and killed a baby,” he said. “And there was not just one shooter, there were at least two shooters.”
Other cities are also dealing with a wave of gun violence over the long weekend. At least six children were killed in a series of shooting incidents in New York City that killed eight people and shot 44.
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In Chicago, where gun violence has led to record levels of shootings in recent years, more than 67 people were shot over the weekend and at least 13 were killed.
