Two triple shootings reported in two hours

Six injured in robbery attempt, nightclub incident, police say.

Three people were rushed to a hospital early Sunday after an attempted robbery ended in gunfire near State Farm Arena, Atlanta police said.

Less than t wo hours later, Atlanta police were on the scene of another triple shooting that sent victims to the hospital.

In the first incident, the victims — two men and a woman — were suffering from gunshot wounds when officers arrived at the 100 block of Centennial Olympic Park Drive about 12:40 a.m., police said in a statement.

All three were stable when they were taken to the hospital.

Investigators determined the victims were injured when a group ofpeople triedtorob them while they were walking back to their car from State Farm Arena.

“During the robbery attempt, shots were fired and the victims were wounded,” police said. The incident remains under investigation.

In the second triple shooting, about 2 a.m., officers were sent to the Silver Ultra Lounge on Sylvan Road after a disc jockey allegedly opened fire and injured three patrons, police said in a statement.

Byron Xavier Alexander, 25, was arrested and charged with aggravated assault, reckless con

duct and criminal trespass in connection with the incident.

Investigators said the D J had been involved in an argument at the nightclub while he was working. When the manager asked him to leave, Alexander fired several shots at the floor, police said.

One woman was hit by a ricocheting bullet and was taken to a hospital. Two other men later arrived at a hospital and said they had been injured in the gunfire at the nightclub.

All three were stable, according to police.

Alexander fled the scene, but was later found at a gas station farther along Sylvan Road, police said. He was taken to the Fulton County Jail.

The latest shootings are part of an ongoing surge in violent crime in Atlanta, which has led to an outcry from rattled residents and business owners, and pressure is building on public officials to put the epidemic of violence at the forefront of their efforts.

On May 4, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced the creation of a new working group to provide recommendations for reducing crime amid a spike in homicides and gun violence in the city. She said at the time that the group will provide feedback in the next 30 to 45 days on “what more we can possibly do” in the short term.