SHEILA A. MATHEWS :::
Two vehicles – one occupied by a minor – were struck by gunfire Saturday just after 2 p.m. at Rick’s Food Mart located at 888 Meriwether Street. This incident was one of several involving calls reporting shots fired in the city of Griffin between Friday evening and Sunday morning.
The owner of one vehicle, Mya Arianna Merritt, said she was retrieving her identification from the back seat of her 2007 Honda Accord when the shots were fired.
“She (Merritt) advised she was unsure how many shots were fired due to the fact she believed it was a truck back firing (sic) until she heard it impact her vehicle,” reported Griffin Police Department Officer Michael Landis, who said the projectile was visible inside the hood of the Accord.
Merritt said the incident happened too quickly for her to see any person or vehicle that may have been involved.
The second vehicle struck by gunfire, a 2020 Nissan Kick belonging to Yanita Michelle Jackson, sustained damage to the windshield.
“She (Jackson) advised she was standing outside but just to the left of the vehicle when, she heard what she thought was a truck back firing until she heard (Juvenile One) screaming, who was sitting in the front passenger seat of the vehicle, that is when she turned around and observed the impact on the windshield of her vehicle (sic all),” Landis said. “She advised she then took cover.”
Landis said he observed damage to Jackson’s vehicle where the projectile impacted the passenger side and appeared to glance off the windshield.
“She (Jackson) also advised due to her taking cover she was unable to observe any person or vehicle that could have been the suspect,” Landis said, adding that Jackson was concerned about the effect the incident would have on the minor child inside her vehicle.
Video footage recorded at the time of the shooting indicated a black older 1970s to 1980s model single pickup truck drove eastbound on Meriwether Street, but Landis said he was unable to see any other direction of travel.
GPD Investigator Powell advised through dispatch that he saw a vehicle matching that description traveling at a high rate of speed.
Multiple responding officers canvased the roadway and trails leading to nearby surrounding wood line, but no shell casings were found.
The weekend shooting incidents began Friday with a shots fired call in the area of 5th and Jefferson streets.
Shell casings were recovered from the roadway, but GPD Officer Todd Hendrix said no one in the area reported witnessing anything and no property damage was found.
At approximately 2:05 a.m. Saturday, GPD Officer C. Smith responded to the area of West Broad and Experiment streets in response to shots fired. This incident was reported by GPD Officer Kody Billings, who reported hearing three or four shots fired in that area. Smith said he was unable to find any shell casings in the area and dispatch said no calls reporting shots fired were received by Spalding E911.
Billings again reported hearing gunfire just before 9:30 p.m. Saturday – approximately four or five shots – in the area of N. Hill St. and Slaton Avenue. He searched for evidence and victims, but none was discovered, and no witnesses came forward.
Sunday morning at approximately 11:12 a.m., GPD Officer Jeff Gauldin responded to 106 Lexington Avenue in response to a report of shots fired.
“A check of the area met with negative results,” Gauldin reported.
GPD Chief Mike Yates on Monday afternoon summarized the weekend’s shooting incidents and shots fired calls.
“Between 5/6/2022 and 5/8/2022 there was one incident at 888 Meriweather St. where a vehicle/s was struck by gunfire. This case is active and suspects are being investigated and video evidence is being reviewed. There were three cases where the sound of gunfire was heard or believed to be heard in the area of Lexington Ave., near N. Hill and Slaton and near Experiment and W. Broad where no witnesses were located and no evidence was discovered (no persons shot and no property damage reported). There was one report of an individual hearing gunfire near 5th and Jefferson and some expended shell casings were recovered but no property damage was reported and no witnesses were located. To my knowledge there have been no arrest made related to the locations you inquired about and there have been no known injuries reported,” Yates said.
The GRIP 
They need to step it up in the City of Griffin and get these thugs with guns locked up for a long time. They have no regard for other people and do not even blink an eye when they shoot or kill someone. We can’t even feel safe in our homes not knowing when a bullet might come crashing through a window or even a wall. We worry for the safety of our children. They don’t care where their bullets go when they shoot in the direction of innocent people. We are tired of it and we demand that something be done. It is not getting any better in the City. Sherriff Dix, it seems like is making progress but not so in the City. We may need to make some changes to the people in charge if nothing changes. Maybe we need some new eyes with some new ideas. One thing is for sure, we can’t go on like this.