Arrests made in Gwinnett park shootings, 1 linked to gang activity

Four people have now been arrested in connection with two separate shootings at Briscoe Park in Snellville over Memorial Day weekend that left families running for cover.

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The latest arrest came Thursday when Snellville Police charged 18-year-old Nasear Johnson with five counts of aggravated assault for the Saturday night shooting that injured five teenagers.

Two other suspects were arrested in June in connection with the same incident. Joshua Zere, 17, was arrested June 11 and charged as a party to a crime for aggravated assault along with gang-related charges.

Eric Meier-Harris, 17, was arrested June 12 on five counts of aggravated assault.

Court testimony on July 23 for Zere revealed the Saturday night violence stemmed from gang rivalry between competing groups. Police say rival gangs had an argument at the birthday party that led to a shootout.

Paul Williams was taking family photos when gunfire erupted that Saturday night and happened to be near where more than 100 people were at the party.

“Stray bullets were flying. My kids could have got hit. I could have got hit. My wife could have got hit,” Williams said.

Williams was near the gazebo with eight children when bullets started flying just 200 feet away.

“We run. We got to the car. My kids got in the car. My kids are crying. We are rushing into the car,” Williams said.

Investigators collected more than 30 shell casings from multiple caliber weapons including rifles. Five teenagers between 14 and 17 years old were shot and hospitalized.

The next afternoon brought another shooting at the same park when 32-year-old Christopher Gaston allegedly shot one man near the baseball fields while families watched children play. Police have not released a motive for that shooting. He turned himself voluntarily on July 22, according to court records.

Since the incidents, Snellville has increased patrols from police and private security. City leaders are also exploring lighting and security camera improvements at the park.

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