FULL VIDEO | Atlanta mayor addresses wave of weekend violence
APD addresses 'alarming' wave of Easter weekend violence
Leadership from the Atlanta Police Department and Mayor Dickens held a press conference Monday morning to address a violent holiday weekend that left at least two people dead—including a toddler—and several others injured in a series of separate shootings across the city.
ATLANTA - Atlanta city leaders and police are working to reassure the public after a rash of shootings left multiple people dead and a dozen victims injured over the Easter and 404 Day weekend.
What we know:
Police say shootings were reported in multiple neighborhoods spanning all four quadrants of Atlanta, including southwest, southeast, northwest and northeast areas.
Among the incidents, four teenagers were shot Sunday night in southwest Atlanta, a 16-year-old girl was killed in Piedmont Park, and a 3-year-old child died after being shot early Easter morning.
Additional shootings injured several others, including a teenage boy in the Virginia-Highland area, two men on Edgewood Avenue, and victims in southeast and northwest Atlanta.
In many of the cases, no arrests have been announced.
RELATED STORY: Gun violence devastates Atlanta on Easter weekend
Mayor, APD talk about Easter weekend violence
The mayor of Atlanta and Atlanta Police Department held a press conference on Monday morning to talk about the violence during Easter weekend that resulted in two deaths and multiple injuries.
4 teens shot in southwest Atlanta
Atlanta police responded around 9 p.m. to Sparks Street near the Lee Street intersection, where they found two gunshot victims before discovering two other victims at Grady Memorial Hospital.
All four victims are teenagers — one 16-year-old, two 17-year-olds and one 18-year-old.
RELATED: Four teens shot in southwest Atlanta, no arrests
Maj. Peter Malecki said the shooting happened after a birthday party that was shut down.
A pop-up after-party was happening on Spark Street when a dispute started, and gunfire erupted, Malecki said.
One of the victims is at Grady in critical but stable condition.
3-year-old killed on Washington Street
A 3-year-old boy was shot in the head in an apartment on Washington Street SW around 12:37 a.m. on Sunday.
RELATED: 3-year-old killed in SW Atlanta identified by medical examiner
The child, identified as Armani Lyons, was rushed to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead by medical staff.
Assistant Chief Carven Tyus said a 70-year-old woman was babysitting Lyons while her mother was at work.
Investigators are still working to determine how the toddler was shot. The babysitter is not facing charges at this time.
Virginia-Highland area domestic shooting
Atlanta police officers were called to the 900 block of Highland View NE on Sunday around 11:15 a.m.
They arrived to find a 15-year-old boy had been shot.
RELATED: Teen shot at home in Virginia-Highland area during domestic dispute
Tyus said that the boy’s father had shot him after an altercation.
The boy’s father allegedly threatened to shoot him over an alleged drug addiction before following through on the threat.
It is unclear whether the teen’s father has been arrested in connection with the incident. Police did not provide an update on the boy’s condition.
2 men injured in Edgewood Avenue shooting
Two men were injured in a shooting that happened in a back alleyway near an area known for nightlife on Edgewood Avenue.
Mayor Dickens added that there were 32 officers assigned to the Edgewood Avenue area when the gunfire broke out.
RELATED: 2 men injured in Edgewood Avenue shooting, Atlanta police say
The shooting was unrelated to any of the nightlife happening in the area, and police believe those involved knew each other.
What they're saying:
City leaders have called the violence alarming and urged a renewed focus on both enforcement and prevention strategies to curb crime.
This is the second weekend in a row that has seen multiple incidents resulting in multiple deaths and injuries.
PREVIOUS STORY: Multiple dead, several injured in rash of metro Atlanta shootings
Atlanta Police and the City of Atlanta reaffirmed that crime is down in the city.
Dickens cited the 17 homicides reported in Atlanta this year compared to the 48 recorded at this time four years ago.
"We had a culmination of Easter, 404 weekend, as well as eight school jurisdictions, all having spring break at the same time, which meant that we had lots of visitors to our city, and some folks decided to turn their disagreements into violence," Dickens said.
"One life lost is one too many, but we will ensure that our parks and our entire city will continue to be safe for residents and visitors alike," Dickens added.
Atlanta Police leadership noted that a significant portion of the weekend's injuries were preventable.
According to Assistant Chief Carven Tyus, at least three of the weekend's incidents were self-inflicted gunshot wounds involving victims who should not have had a firearm in the first place.
In one case, Tyus said an 18-year-old man was running away after scamming someone using Cash App when his pants fell down and the gun on him discharged.
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What's next:
The search continues for the shooters in these cases.
Investigators are asking anyone with information or video related to the shootings to contact police or submit tips anonymously through Crime Stoppers.