Atlanta mayor says he’ll enforce teen curfews following last weekend’s shootings

Tianah lived in Riverdale and was a student at North Clayton High School, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said. The other teen, a 15-year-old from Gwinnett County, was visiting the park with her sister when the shots rang out, sending people scrambling in all directions.

She was struck in the shoulder and has since been released from Grady Hospital. Dickens said he spoke with the parents of both victims on Easter morning during what turned out to be an especially violent weekend for youths in Atlanta.

Credit: Abbey Cutrer/AJC

Credit: Abbey Cutrer/AJC

“They came to Piedmont Park just to have fun,” Dickens said, calling the shooting “a tragic incident of gun violence.”

Now he’s urging parents to keep close tabs on their children and to know where they are at all times.

Heading into the warmer months and in anticipation of the World Cup games and crowds in Atlanta, Dickens said Atlanta police will step up curfew enforcement for minors.

Children under the age of 18 must be inside by 11 p.m. on weekdays and midnight on weekends, the mayor said, and curfew violations could result in charges for parents and guardians. In the coming weeks, Dickens said he plans to ask City Council to review its curfew policies and mull possible changes to Atlanta’s ordinance.

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

“We’re looking at a number of things as we go into spring break and towards the summer,” Dickens said. “We want to make sure that kids are safe.”

Authorities on Monday also announced a $15,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in Tianah’s killing. The teen’s grieving parents have launched an online fundraiser to help cover her funeral expenses.

“Our beloved daughter Tianah Robinson was tragically taken from us at just 16 years old,” her family said in the GoFundMe, describing the teen’s life as “full of promise, kindness and love.”

They said Tianah’s death left their family devastated and “struggling to cope with this unimaginable loss.”

Atlanta-based rapper 21 Savage, whose real name is Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, commented on Tianah’s father’s social media post about her death with broken-heart emojis. The rapper was in town for an event on Saturday.

Credit: Abbey Cutrer/AJC

Credit: Abbey Cutrer/AJC

Ronald T. Jones-Shields II, a spokesman for Clayton County Public Schools, said he couldn’t confirm details about the active investigation, but said the school was offering resources to students in the wake of the shooting.

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of life and extend our heartfelt condolences to the family, friends, and all those impacted during this difficult time,” Jones-Shields said.

The shooting prompted an outcry about violence in the city by several public figures, including Fulton County Commissioner Marvin Arrington Jr., who said he was “deeply troubled and heartbroken” by the news.

“Let me be clear: this is not normal, and it must not become normal,” Arrington said in a statement. “The continued presence of gun violence in our communities demands urgent, sustained action from every level of leadership — law enforcement, policymakers, and community stakeholders alike.”

State Sen. RaShaun Kemp called for gun reform in the wake of the shooting, noting in a statement it was one of several in the Atlanta area over the weekend. He highlighted his background in education and said that if the governor calls a special legislative session on election concerns, lawmakers should also consider debating changes to gun laws.

“Our children are not expendable. They are our most cherished treasure, and they are our future,” he said.

Atlanta City Councilmember Andrea Boone said she is saddened by the deadly wave of gun violence that struck Atlanta over the holiday weekend. In addition to Tianah’s killing, Boone noted the death of a 3-year-old boy who was fatally late Saturday at a southwest Atlanta apartment.

Georgia State Sen. Sonya Halpern also weighed in, saying she is “profoundly disturbed” by the string of shootings that shattered lives across the city.

“What should have been a time of reflection, peace, and family became a time of fear, grief and heartbreak for far too many families,” Halpern said.

She said the trauma left behind by gun violence is unacceptable and urged her fellow lawmakers to take meaningful action.

“These are not isolated incidents to be brushed aside,” she said of the weekend shootings. “They are painful reminders that too many people in our city are living one argument, one bad decision, or one weapon away from tragedy.”

Atlanta police Maj. Peter Malecki said there’s no indication either teen was the intended target when gunfire erupted at Piedmont Park about 9 p.m.

“We do not believe these two victims were involved with any type of fight,” he told reporters. “They were just at the park enjoying the day.”

Credit: Arvin Temkar

Credit: Arvin Temkar

Piedmont Park was busy throughout Saturday for a 404 Day celebration. The event, including musical acts, borrows its name from Atlanta’s first area code and celebrates the city’s culture and community.

The 404 festivities were promoted to run from noon to 9 p.m., according to a flyer posted on the event website. Police said a festival held on the park’s east side, opposite from the shooting location, had a permit and ended around 7:45 p.m., before the shooting.

Dickens said the event ended well before the shooting occurred on the other side of the park. City officials also said Piedmont Park was fully staffed for Saturday’s events. Personnel included 11 uniformed officers, at least a dozen private security guards and two medics, according to Dickens.

Malecki said the four people who opened fire “were spaced out throughout the park” and may have been coming from different areas.

“We’re not even sure at this point if they were shooting at a specific individual or just began discharging those firearms,” he said.

As for the victims, investigators said there’s no indication either teenage girl was the intended target.

“We believe that once the gunfire broke out, they were inadvertently struck by several of those rounds,” Malecki said.

Assistant police Chief Carven Tyus noted there were several other shootings across Atlanta that left minors injured or killed, calling it “ a very busy weekend” for law enforcement.

“We saw violence play out in many quadrants of the city,” Tyus said.

In addition to the Piedmont Park shooting, there was an 18-year-old who accidentally shot himself while running away from an alleged mobile banking scam that he instigated, a father who allegedly shot his son during an argument and a 3-year-old boy who died following a shooting at a southwest Atlanta apartment.

Four more teenagers were injured Sunday night during a shooting at a birthday gathering along Sparks Street in southwest Atlanta, officials said. Those wounded included a 16-year-old, two 17-year-olds and an 18-year-old, according to police.

In a statement, 404 Day event organizers said their hearts go out to the Robinsons and to the 15-year-old injured in Saturday night’s shooting.

“This is a tragedy and our thoughts are with everyone affected,” the organizers said in an online post.

Saturday’s shooting prompted a massive police presence and led to the closure of multiple park entrances. Charles Allen Drive between Eighth and 10th streets was blocked off until about midnight.

Several yards inside the park at that location, investigators searched the ground with flashlights. At least one K9 police dog was also at the scene.

Credit: Arvin Temkar

Credit: Arvin Temkar

Other entrances along Piedmont Avenue were blocked by police, including near the Shake Shack restaurant and at 14th Street. Areas near the park were lively and packed with people in clubs, bars and on the sidewalks just before 11 p.m.

Homicides inside bustling Piedmont Park are rare. In July 2021, Midtown resident Katie Janness and her dog, Bowie, were found stabbed to death just inside the 10th Street entrance. The 40-year-old worked at a nearby restaurant and walked in the area nightly, friends and loved ones said. The killing was the first in the park since 2009.

Janness’ gruesome, high-profile killing remains unsolved nearly five years later. Authorities are offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in that case.

Dickens said there are far more security cameras at Piedmont Park since Janness’ high-profile killing.

“Part of the reason that homicide, that murder, went unanswered so long is because of a lack of evidence,” Dickens said. “I know that if we had more cameras that were working at that time we would been able to have more investigative power.”

— Staff writer Christopher A. Daniel contributed to this article.