‘Loving mother’ is killed after fight breaks out near Georgia university, family says
.png "De’Asia Hart, 19, died a week after she was caught in the crossfire of a shooting in downtown Atlanta near Georgia State University, police and family said.")
A 19-year-old has died a week after she was caught in the crossfire of a gunfight near Georgia State University, the medical examiner confirmed.
De’Asia Hart was one of four people shot at around 5 a.m. on Oct. 29, about half a mile from the university, according to a news release from the Atlanta Police Department.
An argument escalated to a shooting among several people at a RaceTrac convenience store in downtown Atlanta, officials said in a Nov. 2 news conference.
Four people were caught in the crossfire, and Homicide Commander Lt. Germain Dearlove said they believe all four of the gunshot victims were bystanders.
Three injured people took themselves to a hospital before police arrived, according to the release. Emergency medical services took Hart to a hospital in critical condition.
Two of the victims were students, GSU President M. Brian Blake confirmed in a statement.
Hart’s family described her as “a loving mother, daughter, sister and friend” in a statement to WSB-TV.
“While we mourn the loss of a beautiful young lady, we also celebrate her remarkable life,” her family shared. “She leaves behind a daughter whose last time she will see her mother. Her mother can’t tell her ‘Goodbye’ or ‘I Love You.’”
Promise Land Funeral Home says she died Nov. 5, and messages for Hart and her family have poured in from the community.
A co-worker said she would miss Hart’s “contagious smile and big laugh.”
“I love you Dbaby,” another friend wrote. “Forever n after.”
In their statement to WSB-TV, Hart’s family called on local law enforcement and city officials to crack down on gun violence and do better in their response times.
“We need justice for De’Asia,” they said. “We want justice for everyone who encounters these situations.”
Atlanta police released surveillance footage showing people of interest in the case. They are seeking the public’s help identifying three people.
Dearlove said the case is “urgent” for city and university law enforcement.
“We have four individuals shot that had nothing to do with this incident,” Dearlove said. “So we need to protect our citizens, and we’re working with Georgia State University PD to identify these individuals.”
In response to the shooting, GSU hosted a town hall to review safety improvements and hear from the student body.
“We are taking immediate action to ensure the safety of all our community by increasing patrols in the area,” Blake said in the statement. “The safety of the Georgia State community is my top priority and we will continue to work with the APD to identify ways to make areas surrounding our campus more secure.”
This story was originally published November 7, 2023 at 2:22 PM with the headline "‘Loving mother’ is killed after fight breaks out near Georgia university, family says."