Atlanta shooting : Teen Busted After 5 Shot Near High School

Atlanta Police charged a teenager early Wednesday morning in connection with a Tuesday afternoon shooting near an Atlanta high school that wounded 5 people including 4 students.

Marcellus Brooks, 17, is charged with 5 counts of aggravated assault for Tuesday’s shooting at Panther Trail and Childress Drive, just off the Therrell High School campus.

Witnesses described seeing a large group of 25 to 30 people gathering just off school property. A witness told CBS46’s Mike Paluska that the teenager reached into his waistband and said he was going to mess this (expletive) up. He then started shooting, the witness said.

“For me, I saw tension. I knew something was going to happen,” said the 11th grade Therrell High student who did not want to be identified, said. “I was expecting a giant fight. I wasn’t expecting gunshots.”

Four of the five shooting victims were students of the school, according to Kimberly Green, a spokeswoman for Atlanta Public Schools. Green also said that extra campus security would be added and that students would not be allowed to carry book bags or backpacks for the remainder of the school year.

People who live close to the shooting said they heard multiple shots. When they ran outside to see what happened, they saw wounded students in the street.

“Two were laying on the ground. A female and a male were put into an ambulance,” Ricky Johnson said. “They were moving, but that’s why I didn’t think it was life-threatening. The paramedics were working on them.”

Brooks was booked into the Fulton County jail early Wednesday morning.

This is not Brooks’ first brush with the law. Records show that on April 3, Brooks was arrested by a MARTA police officer for a robbery that occurred on March 29. He was released on April 18 on a $8,000 surety bond.

Agencies/Canadajournal