Atlanta Beltline violence: Shops report booming business despite incidents
Atlanta BeltLine stabbing suspect faces murder charges
Atlanta police arrested a twenty-one-year-old man facing murder charges after he allegedly experienced a mental episode, attacked a postal worker with a rock and stabbed a woman to death along the BeltLine in the Old Fourth Ward .
ATLANTA - A recent spate of violence has not harmed business along the Atlanta Beltline in the Old Fourth Ward. Local workers report that sales remain strong and a highly visible police presence keeps the popular pathway safe.
Atlanta Beltline safety
What we know:
Shops and restaurants along the Atlanta Beltline in the Old Fourth Ward report that business is booming and remains unaffected after a recent spate of violence. Adam Loudermilk, the bar manager at Guac y Margys, said sales have picked up 100% this year. Kinjou Ten, an employee at the Woof Gang pet-care store, also confirmed that their shop remains very busy and has seen no real effect on their bottom line.
Business owners note that a heightened Atlanta Police Department presence and continuous security patrols make the area feel secure. Security officers regularly stop inside stores to check on workers, especially at night. Reporters on the scene observed a virtual armada of police officers on bikes riding up the pathway.
Loudermilk noted that the path has become much more popular than in past years, remarking that it feels like a monster has started to take over a space where everyone comes to have fun.
What we don't know:
It is unclear if the recent violence will impact visitor numbers during upcoming holiday weekends.
The recent violence
The backstory:
Several violent incidents have marred the popular path in recent months as the area attracts larger crowds.
On Thursday, a man was accused of stabbing and killing a woman and wounding another person a few miles up the Beltline.
Additionally, police arrested 14 people and recovered 10 guns in March during a teen takeover about a mile away from the shops.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from FOX 5 reporter Christopher King, who conducted live on-scene reporting from the Old Fourth Ward, as well as on-camera interviews with Guac y Margys bar manager Adam Loudermilk and Woof Gang pet-care worker Kinjou Ten.