Police said the wounded man was stable after the Monday night confrontation.
ATLANTA, Ga. — A man armed with a machete was shot Monday night after a confrontation at a DeKalb County gas station, police said, adding that the driver who fired left before officers arrived.
DeKalb County police said officers responded about 7:30 p.m. to a business in the 2000 block of South Stone Mountain Lithonia Road, where they found a man with a gunshot wound. The case remains under investigation, and police had not released the wounded man’s name or announced charges.
Investigators said the first findings showed the man struck a vehicle with a machete. Police said the person who had been driving that vehicle then shot him. Officers also said the shooter hit the machete-wielding man with the gun during the confrontation. Witnesses told Atlanta News First the armed man charged at another man and forced him into a nearby restaurant before damaging side mirrors on a vehicle.
The incident was recorded on a witness’s Meta smart glasses, and police said other witnesses supported the account. Uh-Huh Soul Food owner Robin Billingslea said the confrontation scared people inside his restaurant. “I was in my restaurant and he was swinging the knife at me, so I was scared and nervous,” Billingslea said.
After the shooting, the suspected shooter drove away before police reached the scene, investigators said. The wounded man was taken to a hospital in stable condition. Police did not say whether they had identified or located the driver who fired the gun.
Billingslea said the violence has raised concerns for nearby business owners. “I want to be able to run my restaurant without gang members coming here and trying to take over,” he said. Police have not publicly confirmed a gang connection, and the motive behind the confrontation remained unclear.
The investigation stood open Tuesday, with police reviewing witness accounts and video from the scene. No next court date or briefing had been announced.
Author note: Last updated June 9, 2026.