Atlanta police said a man possibly suffering from the coronavirus is one of four people shot overnight in northeast Atlanta.

Police block of crime scene

Late Sunday, police rushed to the 400 block of Ponce De Leon Avenue Northeast. Upon arrival, a man in his 50s was being loaded into an ambulance. When officers went to Atlanta Medical Center to interview the victim, doctors told police that he was showing possible symptoms of COVID-19 and because the man might be contagious, those officers weren't able to talk to him about what happened.

Not long after, three others showed up at local hospitals with gunshot wounds. Two of those were teenagers, who ended up at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Hughes Spaulding. The fourth person shot was a man in his 30s. He's being treated at Grady.

The victims told police they were walking near Ponce De Leon Avenue when a black Pontiac drove up and someone inside the vehicle started shooting.

Everyone is expected to recover.


A.P.D. taking steps to keep officers safe

Police are having a hard time figuring out what led up to the shooting and who pulled the trigger. In addition to not being able to talk to the potential COVID-19 patient, the stories coming from the other three who were shot don't add up.

Investigators do know the shooting happened in the street near an apartment building. No weapon has been found. Police also don't know if any of the people shot live in the building.

No officers had direct contact with the potential coronavirus patient. Atlanta police are taking steps to make sure officers are safe during the pandemic. These include issuing them protective masks and gloves. Officers have also been told if at all possible to practice social distancing when dealing with the public.