Two people have died and two others were injured in a shooting that occurred at a picnic organized by a group of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. members in Atlanta. The incident happened after an individual showed up uninvited, according to law enforcement.
The group of fraternity members organized a picnic on Saturday at Coan Park in Atlanta. A man who was uninvited showed up at the event, which led to an argument. Per WSB-TV, the uninvited man had on a face mask.
What happened at a Kappa Alpha Psi picnic in Atlanta?
The dispute escalated, and at least two people pulled out guns and started shooting around 8 p.m., law enforcement told FOX 5 Atlanta.
“From what we know at this point, there was an uninvited guest that arrived to the location, which led to a confrontation which led to guns being produced and shots being fired between the two individuals,” Atlanta Police Department Homicide Commander Lt. Andrew Smith said.
One person, who was later identified as 33-year-old Anthony Pearson, died after being shot in the head. He was not involved in the altercation, according to police. Another person, 23-year-old Justin Minnitee, was shot several times and was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital in critical condition before dying of his injuries. He is believed to have started the dispute.
Two other people were injured and were admitted into the hospital. One is in stable condition and the other suffered a graze wound.
Anthony Pearson’s family is grieving him
“He was going to make you feel like family. Everybody was family to him,” his sister told Fox 5 Atlanta. “His aura is unmatched, it’s always going to be unmatched.”
“When our dad passed, Anthony stepped up. He was the one,” she added. “That’s why I call him my little big brother—because let him tell it, he’s the oldest and we have to listen to him.”
Pearson decided to attend the fraternity picnic to celebrate brotherhood.
“It just was brotherhood—it was another extension of his family,” she said.
The Atlanta Police Department is currently investigating the incident and has asked the public to bring forward any helpful information.