Man shot, child unharmed after gunman opens fire at Mableton gas station

Man shot at Mableton gas pump with child in car

Cobb County police are searching for a gunman who opened fire on a man at a Mableton Texaco station while a young child was inside the vehicle.

MABELTON, Ga. - Cobb County police are investigating a daylight shooting at a Texaco gas station on Mableton Parkway that left one man injured and a child narrowly escaping harm Friday afternoon.

Gunman opens fire at gas pumps

What we know:

Cobb County police officers were called to the Texaco at 6430 Mableton Parkway at 12:39 p.m. Friday. Investigators spent more than five hours at the scene collecting evidence, specifically focusing on a white SUV at pump number one that had several bullet holes in the door.

Witnesses say a man pulled up to the other side of the pump, opened fire, and immediately sped away from the scene. The victim was hit in the leg by a bullet that traveled through the car door, and officers rendered aid on the scene before he was rushed to a local hospital.

Cobb County Police are investigating after a man was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries following a Friday afternoon shooting at the Texaco on Mableton Parkway near South Gordon Road on March 13, 2026. (FOX 5 Atlanta)

Motive and suspect remain unclear

What we don't know:

Police have not yet identified the shooter or released a description of the vehicle the gunman used to flee the scene. The motive behind the shooting remains under investigation, and authorities have not confirmed if the victim and the shooter knew each other.

The current condition of the man who was shot in the leg has not been updated by hospital staff or police. The Major Crimes Unit is leading the investigation, and no one is currently in custody.

‘God blessed the child’

What they're saying:

Eric Elder was walking up to the station when he heard six or seven shots ring out. He said the man who was shot immediately handed the young child to a customer inside the store to keep them safe.

Cobb County Police are investigating after a man was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries following a Friday afternoon shooting at the Texaco on Mableton Parkway near South Gordon Road on March 13, 2026. (FOX 5 Atlanta)

"God blessed the child and it wasn't killed," Elder said. "The bullet came through the car door and hit him in the leg. I did see his wound."

Regular customer Zyqaeviunn Best said the violence was a shock to the local community. "I think it's absolutely crazy that that happened over here," Best said. "It don't happen like that."