Robber shoots woman leaving home before running off with her purse, police say

BROOKHAVEN, Ga. — Police are investigating after a woman was shot and robbed outside her Brookhaven apartment.

The shooting happened around 3 a.m. Saturday at Post Glen Apartments, a gated community off Peachtree Road near the Brookhaven MARTA station.

Investigators said a man approached the victim as she was walking from her apartment building to a friend's building.

Police said he asked her for a lighter and the woman said, "No." Moments later, the situation quickly escalated.

Police said the woman tried to use her umbrella to keep the man away, but he grabbed her purse and shot her in the leg.

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When police arrived to the scene, they found the 33-year-old woman suffering from a gunshot wound.

The victim is now out of the hospital and recovering at home.

“It was kind of hysterical screaming, almost like people were having too much fun," witness Amy Cox said.

Cox said she could hear the screams coming from outside the apartment complex, but it was not until she heard the sound of gunfire that she knew something was seriously wrong.

"I just knew it was a gunshot and I had to call 911. I knew it wasn't firecrackers or a car backfiring. It was obvious what it was," Cox said.

Cox said she took a photo of a broken gate Thanksgiving Day.

"I'm not shocked at all because our gate was broken. It's been constantly broken. It was broken last month and we had cars broken into," Cox said.

Many tenants including Cox are upset with management, accusing them of not doing enough to protect their community.

Management sent an email to tenants vowing to promote safety and security for all tenants.

Channel 2 Action News reached out to management about the security concerns but our calls and emails have not been returned.

Police said the suspect remains on the run.

Cox Media Group