1 dead after bus hijacking in Georgia; suspect in custody: police

One person was fatally wounded by gunfire in a bus hijacking that led to a chase through two counties in the US state of Georgia on Tuesday, authorities said.

The incident occurred at about 4:35 p.m. Eastern time in downtown Atlanta when police responded to a report of shots fired at a Gwinnett County Transit bus and a “possible hostage situation,” Atlanta police said.

“When officers arrived on scene, the bus fled the scene and a chase began,” Atlanta police said in a press release.

Police said several passengers were on board the bus when it was hijacked.

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The ensuing chase spanned multiple jurisdictions, during which police tried “various tactics” to stop the bus, police said. The vehicle eventually came to a stop in Stone Mountain in DeKalb County, about 16 miles northeast of the incident site, police said.

When the bus came to a stop, DeKalb County SWAT officers “strategically positioned the Bearcat to block any possibility of escape,” the DeKalb County Police Department said in a statement.

The suspect – a 39-year-old man – was taken into custody without further incident, police said.

SWAT officers found the shooting victim while clearing the bus, DeKalb County police said. The victim was taken to a local hospital in critical condition, where he died, Atlanta police said. Police did not release any other details about the victim.

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No further injuries were reported.

The investigation is ongoing, Atlanta police said.

1 dead after Georgia bus hijacking; suspect in custody: police originally appeared on abcnews.go.com