Georgia declares state of emergency and deploys 1,000 troops after 5 killed and 30 shot in Atlanta
GEORGIA has declared a state of emergency and deployed 1,000 National Guard troops after a bloody Fourth of July weekend.
Governor Brian Kemp made the announcement on Monday after 30 people were shot and five killed in over the weekend, including .
Kemp said: "Peaceful protests were hijacked by with a dangerous, destructive agenda. Now, innocent Georgians are being targeted, shot, and left for dead."
"This lawlessness must be stopped and order restored in our capital city.
"I have declared a state of emergency and called up the Georgia Guard because the safety of our citizens comes first."
"This measure will allow troops to protect state property and dispatch state law enforcement officers to patrol our streets.
"Enough with the tough talk. We must protect the lives and livelihoods of all Georgians," he continued.
The will provide support at state buildings, including the Georgia State Capitol, Georgia Department of Public Safety Headquarters, and the Governor's Mansion.
According to a press release, the reinforcements will allow state to increase patrols on roadways and throughout communities, specifically those in Atlanta.
Over the weekend, Atlanta was among .
Atlanta police responded to 11 different shooting incidents between Friday, July 3, and Sunday, July 5, including the fatal shooting of of Secoriea.
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms was shot and killed by protesters when her mother drove through an illegal barricade set up by activists near the Wendy's where was shot on June 12.
The fast-food outlet was later burned, and the area has since become a site for demonstrations against police brutality.
Secoriea's mother was overcome with grief during a press conference on Sunday.
"We understand the frustration of Rayshard Brooks, we understand," she said. "We ain't got nothing to do with that, we innocent. We didn't mean no harm. My baby didn't mean no harm."
Secoriya Williamson, the child's father, also spoke at the conference saying, "They say Black lives matter. You killed your own. You killed your own this time."
He continued, "Just because of a barrier. They killed my baby because she cross a barrier and made a U-turn. You killed a child. She didn't do nothing to nobody."
The following evening, a 53-year-old .
"The preliminary investigation indicates there was an exchange of gunfire between at least two people, resulting in three victims being struck," police said.
In an emotional news conference, , declared that "enough is enough."
She said: "We have talked about this movement that is happening across America at this moment in time when we have the ears and the interest of people across this country and across this globe who are saying they want to see change."
"We're fighting the enemy within when we are shooting each other up in our streets."
She continued: "You shot and killed a baby."
The mayor said she was told that barriers were up less than an hour before the girl was shot dead.
A $10,000 reward is being offered for any information leading to an arrest or indictment.
According to , police have released a wanter poster looking for a person dressed in black and another wearing a white T-shirt.
Additionally, at least five more children between the ages of six to 14 were also killed in shootings across the US this past weekend.
In San Francisco, a six-year-old on Saturday.
The young boy, who has been identified by family as Jace Young, was at a friend’s house for a birthday party in the Bayview neighborhood.
Jace had stepped outside with his older sister around at 10.30pm to watch the fireworks, reported.
Just 15 minutes after, authorities received a call about a shooting and when they arrived, Jace was found suffering from a gunshot wound.
He was quickly rushed to the nearby hospital and later he succumbed to his injuries.
An adult man, not known to the family who has not yet been identified, was also reportedly found shot nearby.
Police said the man's wounds were non-life-threatening.
The Young family believes that the six-year-old was an innocent bystander caught up in gun violence.
Over in Alabama, another young innocent bystander, Royta De'Marco Giles Jr, eight, was shot and killed when a gun battle started between a group of men inside the Riverchase Galleria mall.
Hoover Police Department said that during the argument, a suspect armed himself with a 5.56-caliber pistol concealed in a backpack and fired toward the other men.
Several of them were armed with handguns and immediately returned fire.
The stated that no one involved in the initial argument was injured and all four of the victims, including Giles Jr, were innocent bystanders caught in the crossfire.
In , an 11-year-old boy named Davon McNeal was shot in the head and killed when a group of five men began shooting on Saturday, the local police department said.
Over in Chicago, the city witnessed one of the bloodiest holiday weekends in memory as 14 people were fatally shot — including a seven-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy — and 63 were more wounded.
This comes despite the Chicago Police Department deploying 1,200 additional officers over the weekend with the intention of reducing violence.
On Sunday, President Donald as 41 people were injured and at least nine killed in a spate of shootings in the Big Apple across the holiday weekend.
Shootings have reportedly doubled every week for the last three weeks and in the last seven days, the city has experienced a 142 percent surge in shootings compared to the same period last year.
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Trump criticized as well as , telling the pair that he is "ready to intervene" if required.
"Shootings up significantly in NYC where people are demanding [Andrew Cuomo] and [Mayor Bill de Blasio] act now," the President tweeted.
"Federal government ready, willing and able to help, if asked."