Fayetteville Police are searching for three or four men said to have been involved in firing shots at a vehicle in downtown Fayetteville in the early morning hours.

Shots fired at the Fayetteville area man came from a vehicle that had followed him from the Old National area.

Police Chief Steve Heaton said police were notified at approximately 4:30 a.m. through a call placed by the driver, 27 year-old Christopher Reese.

Reese told officers he had been followed from Old National and had entered Fayette County on the north side. He drove east in the Corinth Road area and down to Ga. Highway 54. At Simpson Road Reese said he pulled up along side the vehicle and again at Jeff Davis, Heaton said. It was at that time he realized there were several people in the vehicle, said Heaton.

Heaton said Reese pulled up alongside the vehicle for a third time near the Methodist Church, when a passenger in the rear seat fired several shots at him.

Reese added that the driver wore dreadlocks, Heaton said.

The suspect vehicle reportedly fled the area once the shots were fired, according to what Reese told officers. Reese during a subsequent interview told officers he then began to chase the vehicle, first following as it turned north onto Glynn Street, then left on Hood and into the Ginger Cake Landing subdivision. Having been in phone contact with police, Reese was contacted by officers at the scene, Heaton said.

Heaton said the first officer to arrive on Landing Drive passed the suspect vehicle, a small compact car, as it traveled along the street, but no one was inside. The empty vehicle could not be stopped before it quickly struck a mailbox and crossed into a yard at Landing and Ginger Cake Court, where it did minor damage after striking a house, Heaton said.

Having located the empty vehicle, police activated the First Call phone system to notify area residents of the situation, to stay in their homes and to contact police if they saw or heard anything suspicious, said Heaton.

Simultaneously, Fayetteville Police and Fayette Sheriff’s deputies began a ground search of the area, accompanied by K-9 units from both agencies and a police helicopter from Marietta.

A second First Call phone alert was sent out later, notifying area residents to immediately report suspicious activities or anyone that does not appear to belong in the area, said Heaton.

The multi-hour ground and air search revealed no suspects, Heaton said.

Heaton said investigators processed the scene at Hwy. 54 and in Ginger Cake Landing. He said officers found evidence of gunfire on Hwy. 54, adding that the suspect vehicle had been reported stolen in DeKalb County 11 days ago.

Heaton said investigators are continuing to process evidence and interview possible witnesses. The matter is still under investigation to determine what happened and the motivation for the shots being fired, he said.

Anyone with information relating to this incident is asked to contact investigators at the Criminal Investigations Division at Fayetteville Police at (770) 461-4441.