Man shot to death, woman stabbed in face at Atlanta home; domestic violence resources

ATLANTA - One man is dead and a woman has been rushed to the hospital after what police say was a domestic dispute at a southeast Atlanta home.

Officers were called to the scene on the 2900 block of River Ridge Drive early Monday morning.

FOX 5 cameras saw CSI officers, APD homicide detectives, and the medical examiner at the very active scene.

Investigators say a man and a woman got into some sort of fight at the home.

The fight escalated, and the man reportedly stabbed the woman in the neck and the face. At some point, the man was shot and killed. Police are working to determine if the man shot himself or if the woman shot him.

Medics rushed the woman to Grady Hospital for emergency surgery. Her condition is not known at this time.

Officials have not said whether the woman will face charges in connection with the deadly shooting.

If you have any information that could help investigators with the case, call the Atlanta Police Department. 

Domestic violence rises around the holidays, experts say

Authorities reported 42,285 domestic violence incidents in Georgia in 2021.

Nilufar Abdi-Tabari, a senior staff attorney at Atlanta Legal Aid, says there's an increase in reporting during the holidays.

"What you’re likely seeing is that the cycle of violence has reached a climax, a heightened moment, where we see physical violence," said Abdi-Tabari.  "The nature of intimate partner violence is a pattern of behavior that is meant to exert power and control over an abuser’s victim."

She adds that in many cases, abuse already exists. "I often describe it as an iceberg, we’re seeing the tip, but there’s a lot of behaviors occurring underneath the water."

Alma Davis, of the Alma Domestic Violence Foundation, says many victims do not even report the violence. "Domestic violence is also very embarrassing. [Victims] They’re also trusting law enforcement with it. We’ll see a lot of times victims will have been brainwashed to think that they’re the only ones going through that or that no one will believe them," said Davis. 

Abdi-Tabari agrees and says that coming forward can be the hardest part.

"It’s about listening, it’s about believing, safety planning, being able to leave in the right moment," she stated. She says money can play a big factor in a victim's silence and that i "Also, financial resources, housing resources—to assure that when a person is ready to leave in this scenario, they can do so in a safe manner."

Dr. Joiet Wesley-Walker, of Mental Matters, says another option is creating a safety plan with a trusted family member or friend which includes an emergency code phrase.

"That sentence could say, ‘I need blueberries tomorrow.' OK, so, [that phrase means] I need some safety and for you to meet me at this particular grocery store. You come up with the fine details when you’re in that safe space with them." She says then when you text a friend a simple sentence like, ‘I need blueberries tomorrow,’ then it will prompt the emergency safety plan."

The Alma Domestic Violence Foundation provides direct services and training to victims, including pre-employment and work maturity skills, financial literacy, healthcare and social services. Davis says her organization, like many others, is there for victims and hopes they find the courage to reach out and ask for help.

Some resources for those who are in a domestic violence situation:

• Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation 
• Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence (GCADV)
• Georgia Domestic Violence Help 
• Partnership Against Domestic Violence
• Harmony House 
• Alma Domestic Violence Foundation
• Mental Matters
• National Domestic Violence Hotline - 24/7 and can speak English, Spanish and 200+ through interpretation service: 800-799-7233 SMS: Text START to 88788