BREAKING: GA Gov. declares State of Emergency, Authorizes 1000 Troops to protect residents after violent outbursts over the weekend
The Governor is Georgia has declared a State of Emergency following weeks of violence throughout the state and extremely violent 4th of July weekend in which over 30 people were shot, including five people who were killed. A 8-year old girl was killed by armed protesters who opened fire on a vehicle Saturday night.
“Peaceful protests were hijacked by criminals with a dangerous, destructive agenda. Now, innocent Georgians are being targeted, shot, and left for dead,” said Georgia Governor Brian Kemp. “This lawlessness must be stopped and order restored in our capital city. I have declared a State of Emergency and called up the Georgia Guard because the safety of our citizens comes first. This measure will allow troops to protect state property and dispatch state law enforcement officers to patrol our streets.”
On Saturday, 8-year-old Secoriea Turner was shot as she and her mother tried to park in a liquor store parking lot near illegal barricades manned by a group of armed protesters. After a verbal argument, at least two of the protesters opened fire on the vehicle, striking and killing Turner. Police were notified about these illegal barricades but were unable to get to the area prior to the shooting, according to local reporting.
“We’re doing each other more harm than any police officer on this force,” Atlanta Mayor Kiesha Lance Bottoms said at a Sunday press conference. “We’ve had over 75 shootings in the city over the past several weeks. You can’t blame that on APD.” There was an additional shooting just hours after that press conference where one man was killed, two others injured in the very same area as Saturday’s killing.
According to the announcement from the Governor’s office, as many as 1,000 members of the Georgia will be deployed to provide support at state buildings, including the State Capital, the Georgia Department of Public Safety headquarters and the Governors Mansion.
“Enough with the tough talk. We must protect the lives and livelihoods of all Georgians,” said the Governor.
