UPDATE: Police have identified the robbery victim in this case as 34-year-old Antonio Martez Prater.
Even though he's a victim, police are looking to arrest Prater for orchestrating the initial drug deal that led to Tuesday's shooting.
According to police, Prater met with two unknown suspects at the 182 Odyssey Turn townhome, located in the Calloway Crossing neighborhood in Conyers, to perform a transaction involving drugs when a gun was drawn by one of the suspects.
The suspect shot the 55-year-old shooting victim in the calf as he was trying to escape the residence. The shooting victim, whose name has not been released, received non-life-threating injuries and was released from the hospital that same day.
Prater, along with the two robbery suspects, fled the scene before officers arrived. Prater left in a dark-colored Nissan Maxima.
A truck, possibly a Nissan Frontier, was seen fleeing the area at the same time the 911 call came in and could possibly be the escape truck used by the robbery suspects, according to police.
Police secured an arrest warrant for Prater for possession with intent to distribute marijuana.
The two unidentified suspects are still at large.
The girlfriend of the shooting victim, 47-year-old Paula Smith, received additional charges Friday after police found a gun in the townhome, which is owned by Smith. Police are now charging her with possession with intent to distribute marijuana, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and obstruction.
Any information on this case can be submitted anonymously to the Crime Stoppers tip line at 404 577-TIPS (8477), online www.crimestoppersatlanta.org, or by texting the tip to CRIMES (274637). Persons do not have to give their name or any identifying information to be eligible for the potential reward associated with a tip.
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(Mar. 11, 5:47 p.m.) The girlfriend of the shooting victim in this case has been arrested and is being charged with possession of marijuana and obstruction.
Conyers resident Paula Smith allegedly lied to police investigators while they were interviewing her about the situation, says Police spokesperson Kim Lucas. Lucas wouldn't disclose exactly what Smith, who's in her 50s, was untruthful about.
Also, police found marijuana inside the townhome where the shooting took place, 182 Odyssey Turn, Conyers. Smith owns the townhome.
Police still haven't located the suspect or the robbery victim in the case, but they do have a lead, says Lucas.
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(Mar. 10, 3:15 p.m.) Conyers Police were on high alert Tuesday afternoon as they searched for a suspect who robbed one man and shot another in the leg.
The unknown suspect fled before police and first responders arrived at the scene of the shooting in the Calloway Crossing neighborhood in Conyers. The man who was robbed fled as well and police had no luck finding him either.
The 55-year-old victim who was shot sustained non-life-threatening injuries but was still transported to Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta as a precaution.
The victim was reportedly visiting the residence of his girlfriend who lives in the neighborhood, although the victim's girlfriend was not at home at the time. There were three male adults and one little boy, presumably age 6 or 7, upstairs in the townhome when the incident occurred, according to a Conyers Police spokesperson Kim Lucas.
Police aren't sure what led to the shooting and robbery, but at some point, one of the men in the residence, located at 182 Odyssey Turn, reportedly drew a gun and tried to rob another man, but ended up shooting the victim in the leg.
"Usually when it's a robbery, they're either going after money, merchandise, or drugs," said Lucas.
The shooting victim and all the other adults in the house reportedly fled.
The shooting victim ran outside, leaving a trail of blood down the 100 block of Hawkeye Lane, and then went for assistance at a neighboring home. The neighbor called 911.
The victim told police he didn't know any information about the man who shot him, said Lucas.
K-9 Units were on the scene searching for the suspect, but were unable to find him.
The adolescent boy, who isn't related to either of the males, was still in the townhome when the police arrived on the scene sometime around 3 p.m. He didn't see or hear anything that occurred in the home, said Lucas. The victim told police he didn't know any information about the man who shot him, said Lucas.
