18-year-old shot to death in middle of neighborhood street

Police are using doorbell and home security video to help track down a suspect in the shooting death of an 18-year-old man whose body was found lying in the middle of a neighborhood street.

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It happened just after 9:40 p.m. Friday on Mustang Drive in Powder Springs. The victim’s mother identified the man as British Hart, who she said was set to graduate from high school this coming May.

She declined an interview, but she told Channel 2’s Bryan Mims that she had no idea who would kill her son and is desperate to find who’s responsible.

The shooting happened in front of Georgia Garcia’s house as she had people over to celebrate her daughter’s 22nd birthday. She said she heard a loud pop and thought it was a firework.

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“And then my husband came out, and he’s like, ‘What’s going on?’” she said. “And then that’s when my husband saw the body and called 911.”

Security camera video provided by a neighbor down the street recorded the gunshot and what appeared to be a mid-sized SUV passing the house.

“I’m still kind of shaky, but I feel sorry for the family,” she said.

The victim’s mother said Hart was an usher and junior trustee in his church and had an appointment next week with a Navy recruiter.

Powder Springs police turned the investigation over to the Cobb County Police Department. Investigators have not provided any information about a possible motive or suspects.

Sgt. Eric Smith, a Cobb County police spokesperson, said in a statement that “there is no perceived danger to the public.”

Garcia, the neighbor, said she has five children who live with her, and they often hang out in the driveway and front yard. She’s lived in the neighborhood for 16 years.

“This is the first time we’ve heard of an incident like this,” she said. “And this neighborhood is – or was – safe, because it’s scary now. It was pretty safe, but I don’t know what happened last night.”

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