By Joe Johnson
One person was injured and another was in custody following a shooting Friday near the Georgia Square Mall.
"There was a shooting on Crane Drive. The suspect was arrested. The victim had a non-life-threatening injury," said Lt. Shaun Barnett, public information officer for the Athens-Clarke County Police Department.
Crane Drive goes through Meadowland Apartments, adjacent to the mall.
No further information was provided by the police.
We love to have gun laws on the book at federal, state, and local levels. if the citizenry would demand that prosecutors stop dismissing gun charges during plea bargains and judges will use the statutory sentences available to incarcerate offenders we would likely see improvements over time. If the federal government agencies were truly concerned about illegal gun use they would prosecute far more cases Federal District Courts.
These types of stories are as familiar as fender-bender accidents in Athens. To be honest, whenever I think of solutions to this gun violence I find myself leaning to the Draconian side of options. Clearly, a handgun is as prevelent as a cell phone in some parts of Athens and pulling it out and firing becomes a logical way to settle a dispute. Somehow, criminals must be made to fear the legal system. Currently, it's a mere nuisance.