Community leaders to bring resources to Mechanicsville after shooting near park

Before gunshots flew through a Mechanicsville park following an annual neighborhood reunion, Tabatha Colzie told police she felt uneasy.

She spoke to at least three Atlanta police officers after spotting an armed group at the event near Rosa L. Burney Park, explained attorney and civic leader Mawuli Davis. Colzie’s 29-year-old daughter was one of five people shot that night.

“I’m torn, I’m hurt, I’m angry and I’m upset — very mad and upset,” Colzie said Friday during a news conference outside Grady Memorial Hospital, where her daughter remains.

Davis and others from the greater Atlanta area are now working to bring resources to those living in Mechanicsville and affected by crime in the neighborhood with the hope of reducing future violence and restoring peace.

On Aug. 10, hundreds of people attended the Mechanicsville Reunion, an annual event for former and current neighbors, at the park that houses the Dunbar Recreation Center. The event ended at 9 p.m., and the shooting occurred about an hour later in the parking lot of an apartment complex across the street from the park in southwest Atlanta.

Despite officers being present as a precaution, three teenagers and two women were shot. A 17-year-old girl, a 16-year-old boy, a 15-year-old boy and a 33-year-old woman were all reported to be stable earlier this week. Colzie’s daughter, described as “the sweetest person you could ever meet,” has yet to speak to her family and remains in Grady’s ICU.

Lenny Black, whose 17-year-old granddaughter was shot in the back, said it can be difficult to understand how much a shooting will impact you until it actually happens. As the vice president of Street Groomers, an organization focused on educating and supporting communities in need in Atlanta, he explained that he has always advocated for victims of gun violence.

“I’ve been fighting for over 20 years out here for other families, and now it’s my turn to fight for mine,” Black said.

Despite the recent violence, community members are determined to reclaim their neighborhood.

On Aug. 24, locals will reconvene at the Dunbar Recreation Center at 10 a.m. for what Davis is calling a “healing session.” If the city does not open the center for the community, Davis said the session will take place outside in the park.

He hopes to bring mental health experts, organization leaders and other resources to the area to help those who may be struggling emotionally due to the shooting or other personal issues.

The Mechanicsville Reunion, Davis explained, was created for neighbors to spend time together. Before the shooting, adults had been grilling and enjoying each other’s company, while children played games and ran around. Davis noted that there were children and elders throughout the park.

He wants to bring that sense of joy back and ensure that no one else becomes a victim at the park or in the neighborhood.

“We’ll do what we have to do to make it clear that this community will not be left alone,” he said.

No arrests have been made in the shooting, and former Atlanta city councilman Derrick Boazman said Friday that is concerning. While most can hear about a shooting and then move on, the families impacted don’t have that privilege, Boazman explained while standing next to Black and Colzie.

Boazman said he feels that neighborhoods like Mechanicsville are not being sufficiently protected by police. Davis argues more community resources are needed to help bring down crime in the area.

“If (the suspects) were so bold as to pull a gun and shoot in that crowd, what do you think they might do tonight? So there has to be a fierce sense of urgency,” Boazman emphasized.

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