Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms expressed concerns about the NBA All-Star game coming to Atlanta.
The 2021 All-Star game is scheduled to take place on March 7 in Atlanta. But Mayor Bottoms has concerns about out-of-towners coming to a city already struggling with high crime.
Atlanta was wide open when other Democratic cities were locked down tight during the Covid-19 outbreak.
While other cities shut down businesses and nightclub venues, clubs in Atlanta are packed with maskless patrons every night.
Atlanta is battling a violent crime wave that shows no sign of slowing down. Out-of-towners are responsible for the spike in crime.
“I’m open to suggestions,” Bottoms said after a 7-year-old girl was shot outside an upscale shopping mall in affluent Buckhead.
A woman was shot in a movie theater after she shushed two patrons in January. Camryn King, 20, and Yvonne Crawford, 22, were arrested by U.S. Marshals on Wednesday, Feb. 17. They will be extradited from Indiana to face trial.
The victim, who had been shot in the shoulder, was treated for non life-threatening injuries and released from a hospital.
Mayor Bottoms is concerned that the All-Star game will attract even more criminals to her besieged city.
“Under normal circumstances, we’d be grateful for the opportunity to host the NBA All-Star game, but this isn’t a typical year,” Mayor Bottoms tweeted. “I have shared my concerns related to public health and safety with the NBA and Atlanta Hawks. We are in agreement that this is a made-for-TV event only, and people should not travel to Atlanta to party.”
