The Marietta Police Department says two shootings that happened on Easter weekend are related.
The first shooting happened on the evening of April 19 on Natchez Trace near the intersection of Powder Springs Street.
“We had four individuals walking down Natchez Trace. While they were walking down the road, they were shot at. One individual was struck twice,” Marietta Police Department Public Information Officer Chuck McPhilamy said.
Two days later, police said they responded to a shooting that injured two teenagers on Allgood Road near the intersection of North Marietta Parkway.
“A city vehicle was struck; multiple other vehicles and houses were struck. Community members were incredibly concerned when these shootings occurred because they were happening with people who were just walking down the roadway in broad daylight,” McPhilamy said.
Police arrested 17-year-old Xavier Moreno following that shooting and charged him with 11 felonies and misdemeanors in the Allgood Road shooting.
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“We have since been able to connect that one suspect to both shootings, and have now added gang charges,” McPhilamy said.
Police said they can now confirm the shootings are tied to non-traditional hybrid gangs.
Moreno is now facing charges under the Gang Act.
“These were directly related to two different gangs that were in a dispute with each other. These are gangs that could call themselves one thing one day, have an internal feud, and branch off into two smaller groups later,” McPhilamy said.
Due to gang culture and seeking notoriety, police are not releasing the names of the gangs.
One juvenile and three adults have been arrested in connection with the Natchez Trace shooting on April 19.
Jemaree Marion, of Marietta, Jordan Almestica, of Marietta, and 20-year-old Isiah Sexton, of Marietta, along with one juvenile, are each facing four felony charges of aggravated assault with intent to murder.
The three adults have been booked into the Cobb County Adult Detention Center.
The juvenile is in custody at the Cobb County Youth Detention Center.
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