911 Calls Released After Police Say Homeowner Shot 2 Teen ‘Porch Pirates’

Both victims, ages 15 and 16, were shot and are expected to survive, according to Atlanta police.

Newly released 911 calls reveal residents’ concerns after a southwest Atlanta homeowner allegedly shot two teenagers he believed were “porch pirates.”

DeKalb County investigators said homeowner Rakim Bradford opened fire Dec. 16 after seeing what he thought was a package theft outside his home in the Villages of Cascade community.

Both victims, ages 15 and 16, were shot and are expected to survive, according to Atlanta police.

Fox 5 released the 911 calls. According to the outlet, one caller told the operator he found a teenager bleeding from a gunshot wound and relayed advice and offered assistance to the wounded child before he ran away.

“So when the other boy said it was his arm, I told him to take his shirt to go wrap around his arm, you know, to put pressure on him till y’all get here. That’s why I called. I don’t really know what went on,” the caller said.

Police charged Bradford with two counts of aggravated assault and one count of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, according to court documents. Officers say Bradford left the scene after the shootings but later surrendered to police with the firearm.

“We believe a property crime was occurring, that some packages were being taken off of a front porch,” Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum told reporters “The homeowner did discharge his weapon to stop that theft of the packages.”

DeKalb County police have not yet charged the teens in the incident.

Investigators said that since the theft of property is not a life-threatening crime, Bradford is not free to walk away.

“Anytime a child is injured in our city, we take that very seriously,” Schierbaum said.