A Marietta man was shot in the head during an attempted robbery last month.
Garrett Osteen, 43, was dropping a friend off at the Motel 6 on Delk Road in Marietta early on the morning of Jan. 14 when his car was approached by an armed group, according to Officer Chuck McPhilamy, spokesman for the Marietta Police Department.
The five-person group — which is the same crew responsible for the attempted carjacking that shut down Kennesaw State University’s campus last month — pointed handguns at both Osteen, the driver, and passenger Willie Ruffin, 52, also of Marietta. All five had guns drawn and pointed when they began demanding money from the victims, McPhilamy said.
Ruffin was attempting to exit the vehicle at the time of the attack, and Osteen began to drive away. The crew opened fired on Osteen’s vehicle, striking the car 14 times, penetrating the vehicle and hitting Osteen in the head.
“I don’t like using the word ‘miracle’ if it doesn’t fit,” McPhilamy said of Osteen’s recovery. “He went to the hospital that night, was released that night, and came in (to the department) the following day to give us his witness testimony.”