Two sons suffered injuries that were not life-threatening in Jonesboro while major construction closed a section of Interstate 285 in both directions.
ATLANTA, GA — A Clayton County father was arrested after his two sons were shot during a domestic dispute Friday night, while motorists across metro Atlanta faced a separate major disruption Saturday as Interstate 285 remained closed in both directions for scheduled construction.
The shooting and highway shutdown were among significant developments affecting the Atlanta area Saturday morning. Clayton County police said 54-year-old Tracy Lamont Jackson Sr. faces aggravated assault, first-degree cruelty to children and reckless conduct charges after officers responded to a Jonesboro home. Separately, the Georgia Department of Transportation closed all lanes of I-285 between South Atlanta Road and Paces Ferry Road for a weekend phase of its westside reconstruction project.
Clayton County officers were called to the 600 block of Robert E. Lee Parkway at about 7:51 p.m. Friday after receiving a report of a person shot. Investigators said a domestic dispute involving Jackson and his two sons escalated into a physical fight. During the confrontation, a gun discharged and both sons were struck, according to police.
Emergency crews took both sons to local hospitals with injuries that police described as not life-threatening. Authorities had not released their ages or identified the hospitals where they were treated as of Saturday morning. Jackson was arrested at the scene. Police have not disclosed what started the dispute, and the case remained under investigation.
The shooting investigation was unrelated to the closure of I-285, which began at 7 p.m. Friday as transportation crews started another stage of a long-running reconstruction project. All northbound and southbound lanes were scheduled to remain closed between South Atlanta Road, Exit 16, and Paces Ferry Road, Exit 18, until 5 a.m. Monday, Aug. 10, weather permitting.
Georgia transportation officials said traffic would be redirected onto major alternate routes, including Interstate 75, the I-75/I-85 Downtown Connector and Interstate 20. The closure affects a heavily traveled part of the Perimeter near Atlanta and Smyrna and was expected to create significant delays on surrounding highways and local roads. MARTA also warned that increased traffic could delay some bus routes.
The shutdown is part of a broader reconstruction effort along roughly 10 miles of I-285 on Atlanta’s west side. Work includes replacing or rebuilding aging pavement and highway infrastructure, including shoulders, guardrails, glare screens and concrete median barriers. Transportation officials have said the pavement on portions of the corridor dates to the original construction of I-285 more than six decades ago.
GDOT spokesperson Natalie Dale said contractors face a firm deadline to reopen the interstate before Monday morning traffic. The agency said financial penalties are included in the contract if crews fail to clear the roadway by the scheduled 5 a.m. reopening. Weather remained a possible factor in the work schedule because scattered storms could affect construction.
As of Saturday, Clayton County police continued investigating the circumstances surrounding the Jonesboro shooting, with no additional details released about what caused the dispute. The I-285 closure was scheduled to continue through early Monday as crews worked to complete the construction and restore traffic before the weekday commute.
Author note: Last updated August 8, 2026.