Emergency calls and incident report on Peachtree Center shooting released

ATLANTA, Georgia (Atlanta News First) – Atlanta police have released the incident report for Tuesday’s shooting at Peachtree Center mall along with several 911 calls.

According to police, the shooting occurred at about 2:15 p.m. at 235 Peachtree Street, an area that has shops, restaurants and hotels.

The incident occurred in the food court of the Peachtree Center shopping center after a fight between two people, according to Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens. The building was cordoned off.

The suspected shooter, later identified as 34-year-old Jeremy Malone of Morrow, allegedly got into an argument with a 47-year-old man in the food court and shot him, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) and Atlanta police. Officials say Morrow continued walking through the court and shot a 69-year-old woman from East Point and a 70-year-old woman from Atlanta.

An off-duty police officer on secondary assignment responded to the gunfire and ordered Malone to drop the weapon. When Malone did not, an “exchange of gunfire” ensued and the officer shot Malone, according to the incident report.

Three of the victims were identified as Deborah Hardy, Donna Hardy and Orlando Garcia.

During the shooting, police released a 911 call from Willy’s Mexicana Grill. The call, which appears to have come from an employee, describes two women inside the restaurant with gunshot wounds.

Deborah Hardy spoke to Atlanta News First after being released from the hospital. She said she and her sister Donna were focused on protecting their 3-year-old niece.

“I didn’t pay any attention to them. We wanted to eat something,” she said. “And then they started shooting. I didn’t even realize I had been shot in the leg.”

Fulton County Jail records show Malone is charged with five counts: aggravated assault, reckless conduct, possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm or knife during the commission or attempt to commit certain crimes, and third-degree cruelty to children.

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