75-year-old community volunteer shot while distributing food in Georgia

Police continue to search for the suspect involved in the shooting as Dorothy Gordon remains hospitalized with a bullet lodged in her back.

Dorothy Gordon spent the early morning hours of July 15 handing out food to people in need. Shortly after 9 a.m., gunfire broke out near an East Point gas station, leaving the 75-year-old hospitalized with a bullet lodged in her back.

FOX 5 in Atlanta reported that the incident occurred near Washington Road and Camp Creek Parkway. Police initially responded to what had been initially reported as a fall, but first responders discovered Gordon had suffered a gunshot wound and transported her to Grady Memorial Hospital.

Her son, Justin Gordon, said doctors sedated his mother and were waiting for her pain to ease before removing the bullet. He said the shot narrowly missed her spine and that Gordon believed she might not have survived if it had struck her chest.

“They still got to get the bullet out,” Justin told WSB-TV.

Gordon had been distributing food to people in need when multiple shots were fired in the area. Justin said his mother purchased food from Publix with her own money before giving it away to community members.

“All she was trying to do is help people,” he said.

Gordon’s effort reflects a broader tradition of community-led food support, including Gwenna Hunter’s Los Angeles vegan food bank and Henry Obispo’s work expanding healthy food access in the Bronx.

Investigators have not determined whether Gordon was deliberately targeted or struck by gunfire intended for someone else. After reviewing nearby surveillance video, police said they saw a flash from a tree in the wooded area across from the gas station at the moment Gordon was hit.

Authorities have not released a suspect’s name or description. Police believe several people were nearby and may have witnessed the shooting or have information that could identify the person responsible.

Crime Stoppers Greater Atlanta is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to an arrest. Anonymous tips can be submitted to the organization as investigators continue to process evidence and review footage from nearby businesses.

The shooting interrupted Gordon’s effort to feed people in her community, while police continue asking the public for information that could identify the shooter. Her family remains focused on her recovery as doctors continue to work to remove the bullet in her back.