FBI searching for man who robbed at least 7 local dollar stores

The FBI is searching for a man who they believe robbed at least seven Family Dollar and Dollar General stores over the course of one week in July.  The robberies occurred between July 20 and July 28. Stores in Conyers, Atlanta, Riverdale, Mableton and Jonesboro were robbed.  Channel 2's Rikki Klaus  was at the FBI building in DeKalb County, where investigators said that in all the robberies the man pulled a gun and demanded money from the cash register. “He is going up to cash register either grabbing a soda or a candy bar or some item and when the clerk opens the cash register, he pulls out a gun and he demands money from the cash register,' FBi Atlanta Spokesman Kevin Rowson said.  TRENDING STORIES: Katt Williams claims local radio host's husband pulled gun on him at comedy club Georgia middle school principal killed after tractor overturns into pond ‘We should just burn it down': 30 brown recluse spiders found in Georgia home Agents told Klaus they are worried the man will strike again and put innocent people's lives at risk. The suspect is targeting stores during regular operating hours when there are customers inside, police said.   There’s always a possibility when somebody pulls out a gun, in a store or any type of business like that that something could escalate, and it could turn into something violent,' Rowson said. 'That’s what we’re concerned about.”    Rowson wouldn't say how much money the man has gotten away with only that the amount of cash he's gotten is not worth it.  Investigators have released surveillance photos of the man in the hopes that someone might have information to identify him.   Investigators say the man is driving a silver Dodge Avenger and a white Honda Accord.   Police said anyone with information should call Crime Stoppers.  

DeKalb Schools say redistricting plan will ease traffic, overcrowding

DeKalb County Schools has a plan to ease traffic and overcrowding in classrooms. The plan includes redistricting students -- lots of them. When the new John Lewis Elementary School opens for the 2019 school year, students from 15 other schools—in the Chamblee, Cross Keys and Druid Hills clusters-- will be affected. Some 900 students will go to classes at the new school once it opens next fall. Those students will include 300 kids who are currently bussed out of their neighborhoods to Fernbank Elementary in the Druid Hills cluster. “When we send those students from Fernbank back to this area, then Fernbank will have hundreds of empty seats,' DeKalb County Schools Operations Officer Daniel Drake said. Channel 2’s Sophia Choi learned those seats will be filled by students from other nearby schools when the Druid Hills cluster is redistricted.  DeKalb schools said keeping kids in their own neighborhoods will benefit children and commuters with less traffic, which is so important that it’s a major deciding point of who gets to stay and who goes to new school.  TRENDING STORIES: GBI releases 3D model in hopes of identifying remains Security guard hit by car outside local HS; GSP investigating President Jimmy Carter campaigns with Stacey Abrams in his hometown “Distance is one of our primary criteria, but then we look at safety and traffic patterns and then we look at if they’ve been previously redistricted,” Drake said.  The district plans to redraw boundaries to include the new elementary school in the Cross Keys cluster. That means students who live within that new boundary, may be moved out of the Chamblee cluster and into Cross Keys. “People are resistant to change. So, any type of change takes time. That’s why we have our three-meeting process,' Drake said. Here is a list of those meetings: John Lewis ES Redistricting: Schools affected may include Ashford Park ES, Dresden ES, John R. Lewis ES, Montclair ES, Montgomery ES, Woodward ES, Chamblee MS, Sequoyah MS, Chamblee HS, and Cross Keys HS. Three meetings will be held from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Cross Keys High School, located at 1626 North Druid Hills Road, Brookhaven, GA 30319,  on the following dates: MEETING 1 – Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018 MEETING 2 – Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2018 MEETING 3 – Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2018 Druid Hills Elementary Redistricting: Schools affected may include Avondale ES, Briar Vista ES, Fernbank ES, Laurel Ridge ES, and McLendon ES. Three meetings will be held from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Druid Hills Middle School, located at 3100 Mount Olive Drive, Decatur, GA 30033, on the following dates: MEETING 1 – Monday, Oct. 1, 2018 MEETING 2 – Thursday, Oct. 25, 2018 MEETING 3 – Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2018

Man shot trying to stop thieves from robbing friend in East Atlanta, police say

Police say a group of thieves shot a man in East Atlanta Village when he tried to help a friend who was being robbed at gunpoint. Channel 2's Christian Jennings was in East Atlanta, where police say a woman was leaving the Flatiron Bar and Restaurant around midnight Monday.  Her two friends, a man and his girlfriend, walked her to her car, where she was parked on Glenwood Avenue. Police say after her friends walked away, a group of three or four men got out of a car parked behind hers and pointed guns in her face.  She screamed for one of her friends to come back and as he was running towards her to help, the men started shooting.   Her friend was shot in the leg and rushed to the hospital. Jennings spoke with the victim's girlfriend on the phone. She was in East Atlanta when the robbery happened but the couple didn't want to be on camera. They are scared the shooters haven't been caught.  ATL Police are trying to track down surveillance video and the suspects involved in a shooting that happened around midnight in the #EastAtlantaVillage area. Detectives say a man was shot trying to stop a group of guys robbing his female friend. Story at 5 @wsbtv pic.twitter.com/85EyjoNFXY — Christian Jennings (@CJenningsWSB) September 18, 2018 TRENDING STORIES: Katt Williams claims local radio host's husband pulled gun on him at comedy club Georgia middle school principal killed after tractor overturns into pond ‘We should just burn it down': 30 brown recluse spiders found in Georgia home A local business owner was surprised that someone was shot right outside of his pharmacy on Glenwood Avenue.  'My concern is that it may happen to anybody. It may happen to us,' Thomas Jesu, who owns the Eastlake Pharmacy, told Jennings.  Police are still looking into whether any security cameras captured the shooting. Jesu said that after the incident he plans to add more cameras.  'We're gonna add some more cameras around...' Jesu said. 'I think we’re just going to add more cameras so we’ll be better prepared.' A witness told police there were four suspects. They were seen in a black sedan with a temporary drive-off tag.  Tolu Dami said it's scary to hear about other women being targeted late at night, and in such a busy area full of shops and restaurants.   'I will definitely not be by myself at nighttime if I do come this way or just carry something, pepper spray, just to make sure at least I have a little security,' Dami said.