Boy selling water at busy Atlanta intersection fires shots, witness says

Man witnessed boy selling water firing shots

For the past year, there has been a concern the young boys selling water along busy Atlanta roadways were becoming a nuisance and in some case, violent. That was the case witnessed by one man who witnessed one of those boys opening fire.

ATLANTA - It was a frightening experience for a man driving home from church after he said he witnessed a teen selling water firing shots at a busy intersection.

No one was injured, but the witness said it was too close for comfort.

"I shouldn’t have to fear being shot at the light as I’m trying to go home," Dorrington Poitier said.

Dorrington Poitier was on his way home from church on Sunday when he said gunfire erupted from one of the "teens selling water" right after he got off the Cleveland Avenue exit in Atlanta.

"As we were approaching, we were about three or four cars back. The light was red. All of a sudden, I hear gunshots, ‘pow pow pow,’" Poitier said. "Looked over and this man had to be about 14 years old. He had a handgun in his hand and was walking towards my vehicle."

Poitier said he was sandwiched between the light and other cars and was stuck.

"After the gunshots went off, they just started running, and how I knew where they came from is, I saw the gun in his hand, running across the front of my vehicle," Poitier said.

This longtime Atlanta resident posted about the incident on social media and reached out to his city councilman because he believes more needs to be done. This is one of many issues raised about the teens selling water throughout Atlanta who at times have been caught on video being aggressive towards drivers.

"I don’t want to see all of our kids with ankle monitors walking around because they are selling water because they want new shoes. When I see kids selling water, I take it as an issue to me, and that we need to find something for them to do," Antonion Lewis said.

This is an issue Atlanta District 12 Councilman Antonio Lewis has worked to solve.

"A lot of the students selling water is in the in between ages. They are too old to go to summer camp and too young to get a job," Lewis said.

"What we are going to do August 1st when school starts back is we are putting out signs that says no more water selling call the councilman because he has you a job. We have found people and interns nonprofit that will hire those rising 8th and 9th graders," Lewis said.