ATLANTA — Police now tell Channel 2 Action News that a man's death in Buckhead was preceded by him trying to break into a business.
After police were able to watch some of the surveillance video and talk to witnesses, they determined the man was trying to break into one of the businesses and someone inside shot him.
The suspect tried to drive away but crashed and collapsed on the ground.
"There's a small deck he ran into and the wheels spun for a long time because there's a tremendous amount of rubber. Eventually, someone put the car in park and he fell outside of the car,” Maj. Michael O'Connor, with the Atlanta Police Department said.
Investigators said that early Monday morning a homeless man found the victim lying outside a Dodge Challenger that was parked in between buildings on Bennett Street, and called police. He told officers he heard a gunshot around 6 a.m.
Police told Channel 2's Steve Gehlbach that the descriptions of he car and victim matched those of a suspect in multiple car break-ins in the area. Police are investigating the death as a homicide.
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Channel 2's Alyssa Hyman spoke to the owner of the building, David Wright.
"(He) said he was just walking over and seen the guy and seen the guy laying out or something," Wright said.
Police haven't said how long they think the man had been dead when he was found. They said the car and the man's clothing -- a black hoodie and gloves -- match the description of three suspects in the thefts.
Investigators also found possible stolen items, the man's ID and what they think is the murder weapon inside the Challenger.
"We did locate a firearm in the vehicle, so we believe he was shot in the car, based on the circumstances. There's some blood. There's a gun in the vehicle," O'Connor said.
The car, which had no tages and came from a leasing company, was found still running, in park, but at some point, it had been in drive.
Investigators believe the man was shot behind the wheel or shot somewhere else and then drove.
Police said that at this time, they don't anticipate any charges but the investigation will continue.
Cox Media Group
