Georgia GOP Gov. Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency Monday and signed an executive order authorizing the deployment of National Guard troops to Atlanta after violence in the city resulted in the death of an 8-year-old girl, who was shot and killed near a burned-out Wendy's restaurant where police killed Rayshard Brooks in June.
"Peaceful protests were hijacked by criminals with a dangerous, destructive agenda," Kemp said, per The Hill. "Now, innocent Georgians are being targeted, shot, and left for dead. This lawlessness must be stopped and order restored in our capital city. Enough with the tough talk. We must protect the lives and livelihoods of all Georgians."
Kemp's executive order allows up to 1,000 National Guard troops to deploy to Atlanta. He said the decision came after "weeks of dramatically increased violent crime and property destruction" and gunfire over the Fourth of July that led to five confirmed deaths, including the little girl's.
In addition, at least two dozen people were injured in a series of shootings, and approximately 60 people broke windows at the Georgia State Patrol headquarters in Atlanta.
Kemp threatened to get involved Sunday, tweeting the "recent trend of lawlessness is outrageous & unacceptable."
Atlanta Democratic Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms also called for the violence to end.
"We are shooting each other up on our streets in this city. And you shot and killed a baby," Bottoms wrote in a press conference. "There wasn't one shooter. There were at least two shooters. An 8-year-old baby. We are doing each other more harm than any police officer on this force."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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