During a press conference, Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum described the incident that occurred around 4:20 p.m. EST in Gwinett County, which resulted in a multijurisdictional police chase across two counties. The city officials deemed it a “frightening journey.”
According to law enforcement officials, Joseph Grier, a 39-year-old resident of Stone Mountain, was the alleged shooter. The police eventually apprehended him when a Georgia State Patrol Trooper used his patrol rifle to fire a single shot at the bus’s engine compartment, causing the vehicle to malfunction and come to a halt in DeKalb County.
Earlier Tuesday afternoon, a shooting occurred at a downtown Atlanta food court where three individuals and a 34-year-old suspected shooter were shot. The hijacking and shooting took place shortly after this incident.
Let’s take a look at the latest updates regarding the bus hijacking and shooting incident:
In a single moment, her life was forever changed by the sound of gunfire. Despite the sudden and devastating paralysis that followed, this woman refused to let her circumstances define her. Instead, she found a new sense of purpose that propelled her forward.
How did the bus hijacking unfold?
Preliminary information from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation revealed that a Gwinnett County Transit bus picked up passengers in downtown Atlanta at approximately 4:20 p.m. on Tuesday.
The stop can be found just a few blocks to the south of the Civic Center subway station and towards the northwest of the Hotel District neighborhood in the city.
According to a news release from the GBI, an argument broke out between Grier and a male passenger who pulled out a gun on the bus. Grier managed to disarm the passenger but instead of defusing the situation, he began threatening other passengers with the weapon.
According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Grier fired at the passenger and then instructed the bus driver to escape the area while brandishing the firearm and intimidating the other passengers.
According to Schierbaum, right around that same time, a 911 call came in alerting the police of a gunman on the bus who was holding hostages. The caller also mentioned the possibility of a weapon discharge. However, the call ended abruptly after that, as per the chief.
The chief reported that 911 received another call shortly after. This time, it was from a family member of a passenger on the bus. The family member had received a text message stating that the bus had been hijacked and the passengers were being held hostage.
A high-speed police pursuit
As the bus headed north into Gwinnett County and then east into DeKalb County, local and state law enforcement agencies gave chase. According to the GBI, during the pursuit, the bus collided with multiple police vehicles.
While chasing the bus, the police utilized different methods to bring it to a halt. As per the Atlanta police, the officers even threw spike strips down at one point to stop the bus.
According to the GBI, despite the pursuit resulting in the bus’s tires being flattened, it continued to flee.
A trooper managed to stop the bus by shooting into the engine compartment, which caused it to malfunction. The pursuit came to an end on a road in Stone Mountain, which is approximately 21 miles away from where Grier boarded the bus.
According to the GBI, Grier was apprehended “without further incident” and the passenger who was allegedly shot by Grier was later declared dead at a nearby hospital.
Bus driver also taken to hospital for injuries
The local hospital administered unspecified treatment to the bus driver as well.
At present, there is no report of any other injuries in the incident. It is yet to be confirmed if the bus driver has been discharged from the hospital.
The GBI and Atlanta police have been contacted by USA TODAY for further information and clarification.
An incident of a shooting took place at a food court in Atlanta, where three individuals were injured. The suspect was shot by an off-duty officer.
Shooting victim’s name being withheld pending family notification
The authorities are currently withholding the name of the deceased victim until the next of kin has been notified.
The Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office will conduct an autopsy to determine the official cause of death of the individual.
Once the investigation into the use of force is completed, the GBI will conduct an impartial review, and the case will subsequently be turned over to the District Attorney’s Office in DeKalb County for further examination.
A teenager was shot seven times by a Washington man who had mistakenly suspected him of planning a robbery.
Gunman is convicted felon, police said
According to Schierbaum, Grier has a criminal record with 19 prior arrests and has been convicted as a felon.
As of Wednesday, the jail in which Grief is being held, the charges against him, and his court appearance schedule remained unknown.
At this time, it is unclear whether Grier has secured legal representation.
