120 Piedmont Avenue NE, Atlanta on February 25, 2024.
ATLANTA – A troubled gas station near the Georgia State University campus in downtown Atlanta could soon reopen.
The RaceTrac gas station closed its doors in February after a 21-year-old man was killed outside it.
Authorities believe the fatal shooting began with a fight between three people on February 25. It is the fourth shooting in the same area in just over a year.
A day later, the company announced the store’s closure. RaceTrac’s CEO said the decision was made due to safety concerns.
“I am deeply saddened by the recent senseless acts of violence in and around this store,” said CEO Natalie Morhous. “As an Atlanta-based company, we did not make this decision lightly. We know how important our stores are to the community: they are open to guests 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, they create local jobs, they generate taxes and play a critical role in the states in which they operate. However, RaceTrac can only be successful if our stores are safe for our team members and our guests.”
RaceTrac in downtown Atlanta gives up
RaceTrac is pulling out of downtown Atlanta after a young man was shot near the store over the weekend. The store is near the Georgia State University campus and has been the scene of several shootings for over a year.
MORE: Family of 19-year-old mother killed near GSU sues downtown Atlanta gas station
The store was closed for months, but a business owner named Baktari Lakhari recently submitted an application to the city to open a supermarket at the location.
In the application, Lakhari stated that they wanted to convert the business into a 24-hour gas station that can sell alcohol.
A decision on the new deal could be made later in August.
