Two seriously injured when shot in downtown Athens brawl

By Joe Johnson

Two people were seriously injured Sunday when they were shot during a large fight in downtown Athens.

According to the Athens-Clarke County Police Department, officers were near the 100 block of West Clayton Street at about 2 a.m. when they heard multiple gunshots.

When the officers arrived at the intersection of West Clayton and Hull Street they encountered a large brawl in the roadway outside of Tropical Bar, according to ACCPD, and after the crowd was dispersed the officers found that two people had been shot in their torsos.

EMS transported the victims to the hospital with serious injuries.

ACCPD spokesman Geof Gilland said the victims were both 20-year-old Hispanic males, one of whom resides on Spring Valley Road and the other on Vincent Drive.

"ACCPD is investigating the association between the two groups involved," he said.

The police department asked for anyone with information about the incident or has a video recording of it to contact Detectives Hovie Lister at Hovie.Lister@accgov.com or 762-400-7333, or Sgt. Scott Black at Scott.Black@accgov.com or 762-400-7058.