Driver who shot jogger, plowed car into another man in Buckhead identified

ATLANTA — Police have identified a driver who shot a jogger in Buckhead Saturday and then plowed his car into another man at an apartment complex, leaving him in critical condition.

Police said Gaelen Newsom, 22, has been charged with attempted murder, aggravated battery and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime.

Channel 2′s Michael Seiden was in Buckhead on Saturday where police said Newsom went on a brazen -- and apparently random -- crime spree.

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Around 8:30 a.m., police responded to reports of a jogger shot on the 1200 block of West Wesley Road. Police found a man in his early 40s with at least one gunshot wound. He was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital, where he was stable. He has been identified as Andrew Worrell.

Shortly afterwards, police responded to reports that a driver shot at two more joggers on the 800 block of West Wesley Road. Those two victims were not hurt.

The joggers, identified as Larry Santiago and Christopher Bosworth, told police a man drove by them and started shooting at them.

Seiden talked to a witness, who said the victim was terrified after the man pointed a gun at him and fired.

“He was very distraught, you know, very traumatized over having been shot at,” the witness said. “He said, ‘Oh my god, I mean, I don’t know how I didn’t get shot. I don’t know how it happened. How did I not get shot? The guy, I saw him point a gun at me and he shot at me.’”

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The joggers described the shooter as a man with dreadlocks who was driving a newer model silver Hyundai sedan. Neither Santiago or Bosworth was injured.

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Around 11:30 a.m., police say they got a call that a man was hit by a car as he was taking is trash out at an apartment complex on Noble Creek Drive nearby. Police found the victim pinned in between a silver sedan and a parked blue truck with no one inside.

The victim, who is in his early 20s, was severely injured remains in critical condition at the hospital on Sunday, police said.

Newsom was detained at the scene. As police were investigating, they found shell casings inside the car that connected the driver to the earlier shooting.

Police said the suspect may live at the apartment complex and may have been having a mental health crisis.

Police are working to make sure the man they have in custody is the suspect. His identity has not been released.

A new group formed opposing the idea of Buckhead becoming its own city The debate has begun between the residents of Buckhead. Both sides want to get rid of crime; however, they have two different approaches to reach the same goal.

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