Authorities in Georgia said that one suspect was shot and killed in relation to a bus hijacking that led to a police pursuit across two counties on Tuesday.
After receiving a complaint of gunfire on a Gwinnett County Transit bus and a “possible hostage situation,” officers arrived to the scene in downtown Atlanta at around 4:35 p.m. ET, according to the Atlanta officers Department.
“Upon the officers’ arrival at the scene, the bus fled the location, and a pursuit ensued,” the Atlanta Police Department stated.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens claims that during the hijacking, the suspect threatened the bus driver with a revolver. Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said there were 17 persons on the bus at the time, including the driver.
A family member of one of the bus’s occupants called 911 during the pursuit “saying he was receiving text messages that there had been a hijacking and that individuals were being held hostage against their will,” Schierbaum told reporters during a news briefing on Tuesday night.
Subsequently, the bus made another 911 call to police, which remained active during the chase and yielded information useful in “crafting an end of this hostage situation,” according to the chief.
authorities tried “various tactics” to halt the bus during the ensuing multi-jurisdictional pursuit, according to authorities.
Eventually, about 16 miles northeast of the scene of the incident, a SWAT car in Stone Mountain, DeKalb County, disabled the vehicle, according to the police.
Read Also: Senator Fetterman and Wife Hospitalized After Devastating Car Crash
SWAT members from the DeKalb County Police Department “strategically positioned the Bearcat to prevent any avenues of escape,” according to a statement from the department.
According to authorities, the suspect, a 39-year-old Stone Mountain resident, was apprehended without any additional incidents.
While cleaning the bus, SWAT officers discovered the shooting victim, according to DeKalb County police. According to Atlanta police, the person was taken to a nearby hospital in severe condition, where they passed away. The victim’s name has not yet been made public because family notification is still waiting.
According to Schierbaum, investigators are trying to figure out when the gunshot happened. There were no other injuries recorded. The Atlanta police confirmed that the inquiry is still ongoing.
Officials claimed that gunfire broke out at a food court at a downtown Atlanta retail complex on Tuesday afternoon, which was unrelated to the bus shooting and hijacking. According to authorities, the armed individual was shot by an off-duty Atlanta police officer, resulting in three injuries.
According to Schierbaum, the bus hijacking suspect boarded the vehicle close to the mall but was not present during the shooting. According to him, the suspects in both cases had criminal convictions.
Tuesday’s wave of gun violence was denounced by Mayor Dickens, who claimed that it was the “result of too many people having guns in their hands.”
“We all have to say enough is enough when it comes to too many people having guns in their hands and using them in violence,” he stated. “I’m thankful for the men and women of the Atlanta Police Department and all these agencies here that minimized what could have been even more dangerous.”
