Teen girl killed, another injured in shooting at Piedmont Park

ATLANTA - Atlanta police are investigating a double shooting that left one teen girl dead and another hospitalized after gunfire broke out inside Piedmont Park on Saturday night. 

What we know:

Atlanta police officers were dispatched to the park just after 9 p.m. on Saturday for reports of a person shot.

When they arrived, they found a 15-year-old girl had been shot in the shoulder. She was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital and is currently stable.

Investigators continued searching the scene and found a second victim, a 16-year-old girl, who was also shot. Despite life-saving efforts, the girl died at the scene.

Atlanta police said the shooting was not associated with a permitted event that happened on the opposite side of the park and concluded at 7:45 p.m.

"Preliminary investigation indicates the incident stemmed from an unpermitted gathering that occurred near the far west end of the park," the agency said in a statement. 

What we don't know:

Police have not yet identified any suspects or made any arrests in connection with the shooting.

The motive for the gunfire remains under investigation, and it is unclear if the victims were the intended targets.

Timeline:

7:45 p.m.: A permitted event on the east side of Piedmont Park concluded.

Post-event: A large crowd remained inside the park.

9:04 p.m.: Officers received reports of a person shot and arrived to find two victims.

Late Saturday: K-9 units and homicide investigators processed a "rather large" crime scene that spanned the area near the park's pond.

What they're saying:

"When we got here on scene, there was a lot of confusion," said FOX 5 reporter Rey Llerena. "There was a lot of people running around, scattering... people walking around trying to figure out what made sense."

"There were a large number of people here, so if you saw anything, please make sure you contact us and let us know," an Atlanta Police spokesperson said during a late-night press briefing.

When asked about witness reports describing a "teen takeover" involving people in masks, Lieutenant Butler noted, "We've heard things about a gathering as far as the age groups; we're still trying to determine what exactly that was. We're working all angles and gathering all the footage that's inside the park."

What you can do:

Anyone with information, photos, or video of the gathering and the subsequent shooting is asked to contact the Atlanta Police Department or Crime Stoppers.