Atlanta chef charged after shooting 2 suspected teen porch pirates outside his home
A chef from Atlanta has been charged after an incident that occurred in broad daylight outside his home. According to police reports, Rakim Bradford—who works as a head chef at a local IHOP—opened fire on two teenagers near his townhouse in the Mays neighborhood, a southwest suburb of Downtown Atlanta. The boys, aged 15 and 16, were allegedly trying to snatch delivery packages that had been left on the front porch.
Bradford was indicted on two counts of aggravated assault and for carrying a firearm during the commission of a felony when he fired at the teens at about 3:40 p.m. on Thursday.
Police said he spotted the youths on the 700 block of Celeste Lane SW and reacted when he believed they were attempting to break in on packages.
The teens were reportedly on a spree that began at the Villages of Cascade complex, where they followed a delivery van.
After the parcels were dropped off, they apparently decided to steal one from a residence’s front porch, as the warrant notes: “After the packages were dropped, they agreed to steal that package from the front of the residence.”
Bradford intercepted the pair, leading to the shooting that prevented the theft. Police chief Darin Schierbaum explained to reporters that, “We believe a property crime was occurring, that some packages were being taken off a front porch, which is common this time of year.” He added that the homeowner took the shootout to stop the parcel theft.
The 15‑year‑old sustained a gunshot wound to his right foot, while the 16‑year‑old was hit in the right arm. After the incident, the wounded teen was rushed to a hospital where he underwent surgery and is now in critical but stable condition, with doctors hoping for a full recovery.
“The Atlanta Police Department takes gun violence very seriously,” Schierbaum said. “Anytime a child is injured in our city, we really take that really seriously. We want to make sure they know what’s happening.”
Bradford was apprehended after the shooting and questioned by police. Authorities confirmed that no charges have yet been filed against the teenagers and ruled there was no evidence of a home invasion.
Neighbors in the area have warned potential “porch pirates” to think twice before targeting other residents’ deliveries. Andrew Julian told a local outlet, “Don’t go and steal people’s packages,” noting that, “On the other side of that, what right do you have to defend your own home, and then what decision do you make to defend your own home based on somebody taking an item off of your porch? So, it’s certainly a conversation to be had.”
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