75 Year Old East Point Grandmother Who Was Shot While Passing Out Food Tells WSB-TV She Can’t Walk, Was In Rehab For Months; Yearns To Pass Out Food Again: “I Miss It Every Time I’m Supposed To Go Out”

A 75-year-old East Point grandmother known for her tireless devotion to helping others remains unable to walk months after being shot in the back while distributing food to the needy.

The victim, Ms. Dorothy Gordon, was volunteering outside a Chevron gas station on Washington Road near Camp Creek Parkway around 9:00 AM on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, when the incident occurred. First responders initially dispatched to the scene believed Gordon had suffered injuries from a fall. However, emergency personnel quickly discovered she had been struck by a bullet.

Ms. Gordon recounted the shooting that robbed her of her ability to walk and pass out food, her passion, in an interview with WSB-TV Channel 2’s Tom Jones.

A Hidden Gunman

East Point Police investigators reviewing surveillance footage made a chilling discovery: the gunfire originated from a wooded area across the street from the gas station, where a suspect was captured hiding in a tree.

Detectives are still working to determine whether Ms. Gordon was intentionally targeted or if she was the victim of random gunfire.

“All She Was Trying to Do Was Help”

Ms. Gordon was rushed to Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, where doctors revealed the bullet had narrowly missed her spine. While she survived the near-fatal wound, family members confirmed that the shooting has left her unable to walk.

“All she was trying to do was help,” her son told Channel 2, echoing the community’s shock over the senseless violence against an elderly woman dedicated to public service.

Theooting’s aftermath has left Ms. Gordon with a void over something she treasured doing: Feeding the hungry.

“I miss it every time I’m supposed to give it out. Every Wednesday and Friday,” Ms. Gordon said.

Ms. Gordon says three other men were near her. She doesn’t think she was the target.

“I think it was just a fool who was outside and had a gun,” Ms. Gordon said.

Ms. Gordon spends much of her day at home, she told Jones, where she writes daily in her journal.

“Remember other people who love you,” she said as she wrote those words in her journal in her room during the interview. “And be thankful for all those who surround you.”

Ms. Gordon said that she most likely will never walk again.

Reward Offered for Arrest

No suspects have been detained, and the shooter remains at large. Crime Stoppers Greater Atlanta is offering a $5,000 reward for any information that leads to an arrest and indictment in the case.

Authorities urge anyone with information regarding the shooting or suspicious activity near the wooded area on July 15 to contact the East Point Police Department or submit an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers at 404-577-TIPS.