ATL homeless living in fear of being killed in their sleep | News

ATLANTA -- There is a quiet beauty to Atlanta in the winter.

But If you peel back the veneer of night and look a little closer, you will find one of the city's most vulnerable populations… the homeless, who are suddenly in clear and present danger of being murdered while they sleep.

"The similarities are they appear to have been sleeping when they were shot," said Atlanta Police Capt.Paul Guerrucci. "And both were shot multiple times."

Many of Atlanta's homeless are drawn to the rail line that cuts through the city. Beneath the bridges and trestles along the way are places where they can sleep and get out of the weather.

That's where police found the latest victim at Whitehall and Northside Drive.

"Where he got killed at, I was sleeping there… like maybe half a block away from him for three days straight," said a homeless woman named Georgette. "So I'm giving God glory that I didn't get killed in my sleep."

The other victim was found a block away from the shelter at Peachtree and Pine Street, too close to be discounted as mere coincidence.

"I don't believe God sent me out here to die," said Georgette. "He's preying on the weak, preying on somebody out by themselves. But he ain't gonna catch me. If he's a serial killer he needs to turn himself in."

Police aren't calling the suspect a serial killer, yet. But two murders in three days suggests whoever it is is highly motivated.

"We're all trying to stay together, stay in a group stay, in a crowd," said a homeless man named Larry. "Some people are carrying more knives. But I'm staying prayed up."

Atlanta police have identified one of the victims as Tommy Mims, known on the street as Can Man. The other victim, Dorian Jenkins, was found at Ralph McGill and Courtland. People who knew him said he was called Sidewinder by his friends, because of a distinctive limp he had.

CrimeStoppers Atlanta is offering up to a $2,000 reward for information in the case.