With 911 taking too long to answer, and a teenager pouring blood onto his front lawn, Jeffery Mabry said he had to take action.
"We put him on the truck, rushed him down to DeKalb Medical and by the time we got there he was gone," Mabry said. "It is a terrible thing and my sympathy goes out to the family."
According to DeKalb County police spokesperson Mekka Parish the victim, Fredrick English, 16, was walking near the 5900 block of Heritage Walk when a black car pulled up. One of the occupants in the car got out and opened fire.
English, according to Mabry was bleeding from a bullet that hit his throat.
Moments before the shooting Mabry said he saw English walking down the street past his house, he asked English and the two other men he was with what they were doing.
"He said, I'm looking for my dog, somebody took my dog," Mabry said.
Mabry then walked around the corner of his backyard to watch what the teens were doing and his backyard erupted in gunfire.
"I didn't see the shooter, but I saw the shots hit the dirt and the kid grab his face and run towards me falling and collapsing," Mabry said. "We did all we could do to help him, we tried our best to help him."
CBS Atlanta's Mike Paluska talked to English's family. A friend, Tim Latners, said the family is "Grieving over the loss of English and still not sure what happened," Latners said. "The family is being strong, while being positive for everyone because, right now, it wasn't just a loss for our family, but a loss for our young people."
Mabry said he is thankful that his family wasn't injured during the barrage of gunfire.
"I heard more than 10 shots," Mabry said. "My son was just about to cut the grass. We are praying that this never happens again, the reality is it can happen. We are praying for the family and all involved - it's a hurting thing, I know it has been on my mind all day, it hasn't gone off my mine."
Police said they are actively following up leads.
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