The shooting happened Friday evening near Rosa L. Burney Park on Windsor Street.
ATLANTA, Ga. — Atlanta police are investigating after a 12-year-old boy was shot Friday evening near Rosa L. Burney Park, a southwest Atlanta park with a playground and neighborhood resource center.
The shooting was reported at about 6:21 p.m. June 12 near 477 Windsor St. SW. Officers arrived and found the child suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. Police said he was alert, conscious and breathing when he was taken by ambulance to a hospital.
Police said the boy may have been struck by gunfire meant for someone else. No arrests had been announced by Saturday, and investigators had not released details about a possible shooter, a motive or the number of shots fired near the park.
The response quickly turned part of the park into a crime scene. Tape went up near the playground while officers and emergency crews worked at the scene. The shooting drew concern because it happened at a location used by children, families and community programs.
Raven Bennett Worley, who owns Accessible Therapy speech clinic inside the center, said the shooting disturbed people who know the park as a neighborhood support space. “It’s quite disturbing because this center here in this neighborhood is really meant to support the neighborhood,” Worley said.
Other residents described panic after the gunfire. One person said children ran from the area, while another said parents were worried that conflict in the community was spilling into places where young people gather.
The Aggravated Assault Unit is leading the investigation. Detectives are working to learn what happened before the shooting, whether the child was near the intended target and who fired the gun. Police said the first details are preliminary.
The case remained open Saturday. The child’s name was not released, and police had not provided an updated medical condition or a timeline for possible charges.
Author note: Last updated June 13, 2026.