🌱 Fulton Murder Suspect Mistakenly Released + 'Cop City' Task Force

Good morning, everybody. It's me, Lauren Kubiak, your host of the Atlanta Patch newsletter — here to explain all the most important things happening in our community today. Today we'll cover...

• Fulton County murder suspect accidentally released from Clayton Jail
• Atlanta mayor sets up a task force for feedback on public safety training center
• Streetcar expansion could disrupt BeltLine life, according to residents

But first, today's weather:

A thunderstorm around. High: 74 Low: 64.

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Here are the top five stories in Atlanta today:

1. Kaiser Ulrick Suggs, a murder suspect in Fulton County, was mistakenly released from Clayton County Jail in November 2022, according to the Clayton County Sheriff's Office. Suggs was being held on suspicion of aggravated assault and was meant to be taken to Fulton County Jail. Clayton County Sheriff Levon Allen said that two employees responsible for the release are on administrative leave, while authorities have placed Suggs on the county's top 10 most wanted list and activated the Clayton Fugitive Squad to locate and capture him. (Atlanta Patch)
2. Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens is creating a task force to gather community input on the development of the Atlanta public safety training center, including the former prison farm grounds. The task force will complement the work being done by the Community Stakeholder Advisory Committee, which recently had a motion to halt construction at the site of the training center denied. Some groups have opposed the development of the site, claiming it is built on historically Native American land and the old grounds of the Atlanta Prison Farm. (11Alive.com WXIA)
3. The Atlanta Streetcar is being tested this week after being sidelined due to safety concerns. While officials debate expanding the streetcar to other parts of the city, some residents fear the proposed Streetcar East Expansion project would disrupt the Beltline, a popular linear park in Atlanta. The streetcar's current route around downtown Atlanta will return this week after repairs were made to its wheels. (FOX 5 Atlanta)
4. Muhammad Bilal El-Amin, once classified as the FBI's "Most Wanted," has been indicted for felony murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for shooting and killing Jafferd Tucker Jr. in the face in November 1994 inside an Oakland City MARTA station. El-Amin was identified as the main suspect three days after the shooting and remained on the run for over two decades. He was arrested during a traffic stop in August 2022 after an Oconee County Sheriff's deputy noticed he was carrying a suspended South Carolina diver's license with a different name. (Subscription: The Atlanta Journal Constitution)
5. Atlanta police are investigating a fatal shooting that occurred near the Atlanta University Center. A 20-year-old man was found dead from an apparent gunshot wound behind the LYKE Catholic House, and police do not believe the shooting was random. Detectives are currently reviewing surveillance footage and interviewing neighbors, and the shooter remains at large. (WSB Atlanta)

Today in and around Atlanta:

• Fulton County Board Of Commissioners Meeting At Fulton County Government Center's Assembly Hall (10:00 AM)
• Art Exhibit At Dunwoody Library (10:00 AM)
• ATL Jam Session At Apache XLR (6:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• In case you missed it: Georgia Beer Day, an annual event sponsored by the Georgia Craft Brewers Guild (GCBG), will be celebrated on Saturday, Mar. 4, with over 70 local breweries offering commemorative pint glasses, and $1 from each glass going towards supporting the GCBG's advocacy, education, and awareness efforts. The 2023 commemorative glass, designed by artist Baily Crawford, features Georgia peaches and hops. (WSB Atlanta)
• New homes have been listed for sale in the Atlanta area! Get all the property details at the link. (Atlanta Patch)
• The last full moon of winter, known as the full worm moon, will reach peak illumination at 7:42 a.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, Mar. 7, and may be accompanied by the rare phenomenon of a "moonbow." The moon may appear larger near the horizon due to the "moon illusion," and is a good opportunity for macro photography, with worms likely to be visible as they emerge from the ground. (Patch)

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Featured events:

• Online Event about our services in the Atlanta area (March 4)
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• PRIDE Kickball Spring '23 League - Registration Deadline March 9th (March 9)
• Advancing Neuroscience and Health Equity (March 23)
• Add your event

Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Wednesday. See you all soon for another update!

— Lauren Kubiak

About me: Lauren is a freelance copywriter for content creation agency Lightning Media Partners. She graduated from Rowan University with a Bachelor’s Degree in journalism. She is a full-time editor at an association management firm, editing peer-reviewed nursing journals, textbooks, and newsletters.