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Is Lenox Square Mall cursed? Compared to Lake Lanier after security guard shooting

Atlanta's Lenox Mall has seen a rise in shootings from 2020, leading social media to compare it with Lake Lanier that has seen 43 deaths from 2015-18

Despite an update in security measures, Atlanta's Lenox Mall was the site of yet another shooting on June 13. A security guard at the mall was shot by two gunmen, who have since been apprehended. The guard is reportedly being treated for injuries at a local hospital, while the gunmen are being questioned by police. 

Homicide rates are up 60 per cent in Atlanta in 2021, despite 2020 being a historically deadly year with 157 cases. Of note, Robert Aaron Long went on a killing spree at massage parlors in the city before being arrested. In March, two people were injured in a shooting at Cumberland Mall. Then in April, popular local YouTuber Lil Esco was hospitalized after being shot at. But perhaps the most infamous location in the city happens to be Lenox Mall, which saw several shootings in 2020. 

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The string of shootings, including the latest incident, has now got many users on social media comparing the mall to the allegedly haunted Lake Lanier. The infamous lake, one of the largest in Georgia, has long been trolled for its deadly nature.

Shootings at Lenox Mall

There were six reported shootings at Lenox Mall in 2020. In December, a man accidentally fired a gun inside the Neiman Marcus department store. In November, a man was wounded after a dispute at the mall's Apple Store led to a gun being discharged. An alleged robbery attempt in October at the Neiman Marcus store led to property damage, but no injuries. Before that, in March, a man was shot to death over a dispute over a parking space. There were also shootings in January and February, making the mall one of the deadliest locations in Atlanta. 

As a result of the surge in violence, Atlanta City Council considered gun buyback programs and a special 'gun court' for the district of Buckhead, where the mall is located. The debate for those measures is still ongoing. In the meantime, the mall has instituted several other security measures. That includes continuous monitoring by both private security and the Atlanta Police Department (APD), including during off-hours. The mall also got its own police substation, making it easier and quicker for cops to respond to cases of gun violence. 

The mall has also integrated its CCTVs and license plate readers with APD's Video Integration Center, for real-time monitoring of suspects. Specially trained K-9 patrols have also been added, with dogs trained to detect firearms. The mall has also added "state-of-the-art metal detection technology" to catch people with firearms. But despite these measures, and the fact that firearms are prohibited, the violence appears to continue.

That has got people comparing it to Lake Lanier, which has seen 43 lake-related deaths and 128 boating accidents between 2015-2018. That fact along with the fact that the lake is situated on the site of several graveyards has led to rumors of it being 'haunted' for years. There's a long-running joke of people saying the lake is cursed, and urging others not to visit it. With the sharp crime spree at Lenox Mall, Atlanta now has a new venue to call 'cursed'.

'Better chance of surviving the apocalypse'

"Lenox done turned into the new lake lanier," one user tweeted. Another shared an image from the film 'Gozilla vs Kong' and tweeted, "Lenox mall and Lake Lanier fighting for Atlanta Dominance." One person shared a grim GIF and said, "Lenox Mall or Lake Lanier...Pick your poison..."

"At this point, if you invite me to Lenox Mall or Lake Lanier I'm going to look at you funny. You don't value my life," one user said. Another joked, "I’d have a better chance of surviving the apocalypse if i were in the last of us than i would being at Lenox mall or lake Lanier tbh." One user said, "Lenox is the Lake Lanier of Malls."

One user noted, "It really is a battle between Lake Lanier and Lenox Mall to see which can bag the most bodies. Like every week. Everybody go back inside." Another commented, "It’s crazy that once I saw Lenox mall trending I knew there may have been a shooting. Almost like when you see Lake Lanier trending you just know what’s up."

Despite being widely trolled, both Lenox Mall and Lake Lanier remain popular with Georgia residents. Lanier is reportedly one of the most popular destinations maintained by the Army Corps of Engineers. A 2019 report said the lake had 11.8 million visitors annually, more than the Lovre Museum in Paris and Shanghai's Disneyland. Lenox Mall reportedly attracts 22 million annually.