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- [00:00]
Matthew Sheaer
In the depths of an Atlanta forest, a clash between activists and authorities ended in tragedy. But the official narrative doesn't add up. We Came to the Forest, a new investigative podcast from Wondery Campsite Media and Tenderfoot TV peels back the layers of secrecy surrounding a deadly confrontation that shook a community to its core. Through exclusive recordings and never before released eyewitness accounts, host Matthew Sheaer exposes the hidden truths behind a nighttime shootout that left one activist dead and countless lives forever changed. As we dig deeper, we uncover a web of conflicting testimonies, missing evidence, and allegations of a cover up reaching the highest levels of law enforcement. From the idealistic dreams of young environmentalists to the complex motivations of local officials, this story challenges our understanding of justice, activism and the lengths people will go to to protect what they believe in. What actually happened in that forest? You're about to hear a clip from We Came to the Forest. Make sure to follow We Came to the Forest on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts wondering.
- [01:11]
Vienna Forrest
Campsite Media On a chilly evening in January, an activist named Vienna Forrest goes on a date with her partner in Atlanta. It's been a long, rough month for Vienna, the longest in some ways she can remember, and she spent much of it lying low, crashing on the floor at a friend's house. Her partner, who goes by Tortuguita, that's little turtle in Spanish, has decided that it's time for her to get out of the house.
- [01:42]
Tortuguita
And we went to get Vietnamese and Mexican food, just got a whole buffet. It was and Tortequito is like at their peak. They're so happy they quit cigarettes. They were just really doing good.
- [01:56]
Vienna Forrest
A couple hours later, Vienna and Torte pack into a sedan along with two other friends and drive across town to a movie theater called the Starlight. The Starlight's pretty famous in Atlanta. It's one of the last real drive ins in the country. Still has that old school neon sign out front.
- [02:15]
Tortuguita
Me and Torte, to save on tickets, hid under a blanket and the person manning the gate caught us. They're like, next time tell your friends to hide their legs better because Torte's legs were sticking out from under the blanket. But they let us go through.
- [02:32]
Vienna Forrest
The couple stays there together, curled up in the backseat, hands laced together in the dark. Even as the movie gets underway, the.
- [02:40]
Tortuguita
They were always just like someone I felt comfortable with. They were I'm feeling bad, I can lay my head on their chest and they'd comfort me.
- [02:51]
Vienna Forrest
The film that night at the Starlight is Megan. The one about the overprotective, malignant doll.
- [02:56]
Tortuguita
The modern day Chucky, if you will. Took a while for me to remember what the movie was because I wasn't paying attention to the movie so much, but yeah.
- [03:07]
Vienna Forrest
As the movie winds down, Vienna turns to her partner.
- [03:10]
Tortuguita
Watching them, they seem like they didn't have care in the world. Or at least they didn't show it. They had this sort of resolve about things and they just. It seemed like they were just ready for whatever was to come.
- [03:28]
Vienna Forrest
About 36 hours after the date, at the drive in, in an event that will permanently, violently alter the trajectory of Vienna's life, a joint task force of law enforcement officers sweeps through a forest a few miles to the southeast. This task force, made up of dozens of officers from several different agencies, has been assigned to clear the woods of activists who are camping there in an attempt to stop the construction of the largest police training facility in the country. These officers are nervous. They've been warned in a briefing about the possibility of booby traps and even improvised explosive devices. But they're doing their best not to let it show. As they press forward, packing up vacant tents with knives, they joke about what they'll say if they happen to find one occupied.
- [04:21]
Tortuguita
Sir, quick question. Can you get the fuck out, please?
- [04:28]
Vienna Forrest
There's some more laughter and then everything just kind of shatters open.
- [04:35]
Tortuguita
Oh, shit. Is this target practice?
- [04:46]
Vienna Forrest
Surprised, unnerved, the officers tense up, drop their hands to their sidearms.
- [04:53]
Tortuguita
Real shots.
- [04:56]
Vienna Forrest
The mood now is adrenalized. Sharp edged, the squadron of cops begin to move towards the sound of the gunfire. A very faint transmission comes over the radio from just across the forest. Man. Deaf. Legendary.
- [05:17]
Tortuguita
That sounded like suppressed gun violence.
- [05:21]
Vienna Forrest
From Wondery Campside Media and Tenderfoot tv. I'm Matthew Scher and this is We Came to the Forest. This is episode one. Paradise Foundation Foreign.
- [06:02]
Matthew Sheaer
You can binge all episodes of We Came to the Forest ad free on Wondery plus. Join Wondery plus in the Wondery app or on Apple podcasts.