APD vows to stop carjackings around college campuses

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Atlanta's police chief says stopping violence around the city's black colleges is a priority for the department.

Erika Shields' public statement Monday afternoon follows yet another carjacking of a student that almost turned deadly.

The most recent carking happened when a Morehouse College student confronted someone attempting to steal his car parked at a West End gas station Sunday afternoon

Witnesses told police shots were fired from a nearby sedan, hitting the student in the chest and legs. The wounded man was taken to a hospital for treatment.

At a Monday press conference, the concern evident on the face of the police chief was in part no doubt due to the fact that there are additional criminals who were not involved in the earlier incidents. 

Shields said she believed the suspects were "younger individuals."

"I think that they will be familiar with the juvenile justice system and the juvenile justice system will be familiar with them," she said.

Four violent crimes have happened recently in the Atlanta University area. Three of those had victims who were Morehouse students.

In order to try to stop the crimes, the Atlanta Police are pulling additional units out of responding to 911 calls and instead focusing on patrolling the area.