A serious public safety incident occurred on Davis Circle early Sunday morning.
At approximately 1:53 a.m. on Sunday, July 26, neighbors were awakened by approximately five consecutive gunshots extremely close to their homes. They immediately called 911.
Over the past few days additional information from neighbors paints a clearer picture of what occurred:
- Neighbors recovered spent shell casings on Davis Circle
- A neighbor’s security camera footage shows an individual walking down Davis Circle while one of the gunshots is audible.
- Residents are working to ensure this information reaches the Atlanta Police Department so investigators have access to all available evidence.
While this incident alone is deeply concerning, it also comes against the backdrop of several other public safety and quality-of-life issues in this area over the past year, including the fatal shooting on Defoor Place in June 2025, additional reports of suspected gunfire nearby, and recurring late-night disturbances resulting in numerous 311 and 911 calls by residents.
These incidents leave residents increasingly concerned about the safety Davis Circle and Defoor Place. Together with APD and UHNA they’re investigating proactive steps to help prevent future incidents.
Detective Kevin Leonpacher (APD, Underwood Hills Security Patrol) notes that, “Though very disturbing, random gunshots in Underwood Hills are a rare occurrence. On July 26 attending officers were unable to locate anything so no report was written and no follow-up was scheduled. In such a case It is imperative that 911 be called again to file a police report. The responding officer can use the original incident number to write the report, or create a new one. If neighbors still have those cartridge cases, an on-duty officer will need to transport them as evidence to property control. (A follow-up report has been submitted, tracking number is T26011930)
Cartridge cases (shell casings) are processed and loaded into a database that helps us find links between shootings – similar to the way fingerprints at two different incidents help us determine the same person was involved in both.
Incidents that require follow-up investigation are assigned to a detective in the appropriate investigative unit within APD. Although the officers working the Underwood Hills Security Patrol cannot take over investigations, we can support them while on patrol in the neighborhood. The first step is to make sure the report gets filed by calling 911.
The patrol presently works three 3-hour shifts each week. We will pay special attention to Davis Circle and Davis Place. Defoor Place extends into the commercial district outside the residential area we patrol; however, we always keep an eye on the neighborhood boundaries.
Additional directed patrol requests for on-duty Zone 2 patrol officers can be made here – https://www.atlantapd.org/services/directed-patrol-request“
UHNA has invited a representative from Zone 2 leadership to attend the August 10 General meeting at which Kevin will also be in attendance.
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