ATLANTA, GA — A man who Atlanta police say opened fire on another man during a verbal dispute ended up in the hospital with two gunshot wounds after his intended victim returned fire in self-defense.
According to a preliminary release from the Atlanta Police Department, officers responded to 859 Oak St. NW around 11:20 a.m. on Friday, July 3, 2026, on a person shot call. They found 38-year-old Brandon Harper suffering from two gunshot wounds. Harper was transported to the hospital alert, conscious, and breathing.
Officers detained a second man at the scene. He was uninjured.
Investigators determined the two men had been in a verbal dispute. Police say Harper was the primary aggressor and fired a firearm multiple times at the other man. That man returned fire in self-defense, striking Harper twice.
The investigation also revealed that Harper is a convicted felon and was wanted on multiple outstanding warrants. As a felon, he was prohibited under both Georgia and federal law from possessing a firearm in the first place.
Police say Harper was charged in connection with the incident and will be taken to the Fulton County Jail once he is discharged from the hospital. The department did not specify the charges in its release.
The man who defended himself will not face any charges.
This is what armed self-defense looks like in the real world. A prohibited person with active warrants started shooting at someone over an argument. The intended victim faced an imminent, lethal threat and stopped it. He walked away uninjured, and investigators cleared him on scene.
APD notes the information released is preliminary and could change as the investigation progresses.
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