Cartersville police are investigating a late-night shooting outside the Waffle House at the corner of North Dixie Avenue and Martin Luther King Junior Drive that damaged two vehicles but left no one injured.
The incident unfolded shortly after midnight on Sunday, around 12:03 a.m., when officers responded to reports of shots fired at the popular restaurant. A large crowd of 30 to 50 teenagers, estimated to be between 16 and 20 years old, had gathered in the area, crossing between the nearby McDonald’s and the Waffle House parking lot.
Surveillance video from the Waffle House, reviewed by officers with the manager’s cooperation, shows the teens arriving around 11:30 p.m. After eating, a physical fight broke out behind the building on Felton Place between two males—one wearing a yellow hoodie and the other in a black hoodie with a pink or white design. A group of teens gathered to watch the altercation.
Following the fight, several subjects climbed into two vehicles—a red Hyundai and a white sedan, both appearing to be 2015 models or newer—and drove up the hill on Felton Place. Moments later, the vehicles returned down the hill and turned onto MLK Junior Drive. As they passed the Waffle House, gunfire erupted, though the camera did not capture the actual shots. Witnesses reported seeing a skinny black male in a black hoodie with red or white writing return fire at the passing vehicles. The crowd of teens scattered and fled the scene immediately afterward.
One driver, in a maroon 2013 Acura RDX, told police he had just left the McDonald’s, turned right onto MLK Junior Drive, and heard multiple gunshots as he approached the red light at the intersection with Joe Frank Harris Parkway. He believed the shots came from the crowd at the Waffle House. When he heard bullets strike metal, he feared the shooter targeted him, ran the red light, turned left onto Joe Frank Harris Parkway, and pulled into a nearby gas station to check his vehicle. Officers later confirmed bullet damage: a round grazed across the roof, leaving a clear path and a small dent where it deflected off a raised section. The victim expressed his intent to press charges.
A second victim discovered damage to his 2022 GMC Sierra, parked near the building beside MLK Junior Drive. While eating inside the Waffle House, he noticed commotion outside but did not witness the shooting. Upon checking his truck, he found what appeared to be a bullet hole entering the front of the driver’s side mirror and exiting near the bottom, narrowly missing the glass. He also wants to press charges.
Officers recovered two Hornady +P 9mm Luger shell casings from the parking lot, positioned in line with where the damaged vehicles had been. Crime scene personnel photographed and collected them as evidence. Investigators photographed both vehicles and documented the scene.
During the response, officers attempted a felony traffic stop on a vehicle that left as they arrived, and detained two occupants. Details on any connection remain under investigation—Bartow County Sheriff’s Office units assisted in attempting to stop other vehicles leaving the area. One officer located a gold Chrysler with rear bumper damage near a housing project on Fairview Circle.
No additional damage or evidence turned up after officers searched the roadway and surrounding areas.
Cartersville police continue to investigate this incident and urge anyone with information to contact them.