Mid-day gunfight at Rocksprings Homes housing community

By Joe Johnson

Bullets reportedly were flying mid-afternoon at Rocksprings Homes when men shot at each other with a pistol and shotgun while children were out and about at the public housing complex off Baxter Street.

Fortunately no injuries were reported at the scene, where police said vehicles were shot up and officers recovered over a dozen shell casings from a semiautomatic pistol and shotgun.

According to the Athens Clarke County Police Department, the incident happened at about 2:40 p.m. on Nov. 18. A police incident report indicates that officers reviewed video surveillance footage and determined the following facts:

A black male exited the passenger side of a silver Lexus parked on Baxter Street and entered Rocksprings carrying a shotgun a which he used to shoot at a black male who emerged from a gray Honda Accord that was occupied by two females who got out of the car and ran before any gunshots were fired, according to police.

The second male returned fire with a pistol and the two females got out of the Honda and ran away, according to police, and the male with the shotgun ran back to the Lexus which then sped away on Baxter Street.

The suspect with the shotgun was said by police to have been wearing a black jacket, dark pants and a black beanie or balaclava. His weapon was described as a "shockwave" type shotgun, which features a short barrel and pistol handgrip.

A Mossberg 590 Shockwave shotgun

The suspect from the Honda who had shot with a pistol was said by police to have worn blue jeans, a light-blue hoodie, and a fanny pack across his chest. The Honda was gray and it displayed Georgia rag YGV460. It and three other vehicles parked in the complex were damaged by gunfire, police said.

Evidence collected at the crime scene included 16 9mm shell casings, four shotgun shells and wadding, and three bullet fragments, police said.