Atlanta bus hijacking: how the chaotic pursuit unfolded

CNN
—

Atlanta police had barely finished notifying the community about a chaotic shooting at a downtown food court Tuesday afternoon when calls started coming in about another disaster — this one . fatal – it was starting to happen.

Just a half-mile away, a gunman had hijacked a commuter bus with 17 people inside, prompting passengers to frantically text their loved ones and call 911 for help, the police said. police.

But as police arrived on the scene and attempted to confront the shooter, identified as Joseph Grier, a 39-year-old felon, the suspect held the bus driver at gunpoint and forced him to flee at full speed, according to Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum.

The ensuing rush-hour police chase zigzagged across highway lanes and suburban streets as the bus led authorities through at least two counties, sometimes crashing into other cars and crossing into opposing traffic .

Inside, a passenger surreptitiously remained on the line to 911, allowing authorities to hear the commotion, Schierbaum said. Mayor Andre Dickens said the chaos looked like a scene from a movie since the suspect had “a gun to a bus driver’s head saying, ‘Don’t stop this bus or worse will happen.'”

When the bus finally stopped on a tree-lined street in suburban Stone Mountain, passengers exited en masse and Grier was arrested without incident, police said.

A passenger found shot aboard the bus was taken to a hospital, where he later died, authorities said. The identity of the victim will be released after his family has been informed.

The suspect has already been convicted of 19 crimes, police said, without providing further details. CNN was unable to determine whether the suspect had an attorney.

Here’s what you need to know.

The hijacked Gwinnett County Transit bus is part of a network of commuter routes that bring people to and from Atlanta from its sprawling suburbs, including passenger Paulette Gilbert, who called her husband from the inside the bus when the incident began to unfold.

Paulette Gilbert seemed stunned and frightened as she described a man who boarded the bus and began acting strangely, said her husband, Johnny Gilbert. She said the man got into a confrontation with another passenger and shot him, possibly in the leg.

“She said the guy got on the bus and looked a little crazy,” Gilbert said, telling his wife’s story. “He was disruptive or annoyed people,” he added.

Around 4:30 p.m., police received the first 911 call from a passenger reporting that an armed man was holding the bus hostage on Ivan Allen Boulevard and that there may have been gunfire, Schierbaum said. Then the line went silent.

The husband urged his wife to hang up in case the shooter thought she was calling 911, fearing he would shoot her next. “I said put the phone down, put it away. Sit quietly.

Shortly after, another call came in from the family of a passenger who had texted them that the bus had been hijacked.

A police officer arrived on scene about a minute after the initial 911 call and attempted to confront the suspect, who then “forced the bus driver to leave,” Schierbaum said.

A third 911 call – this time from another passenger on board – remained on the line throughout the chase, allowing dispatchers to relay information to several law enforcement agencies involved in the pursuit, said leader.

The bus led a fleet of law enforcement vehicles along Atlanta’s Interstate 85 as rush-hour commuters sped past then through several suburban areas before stopping at Stone Mountain.

The large bus struck several vehicles during the pursuit, police said, although it was unclear whether any drivers were injured.

Police were able to neutralize the vehicle using several tactics, including placing an armored vehicle on one of its sides where the tires were bare, preventing it from maneuvering in that direction, police said.

As the bus stopped, passengers began to disembark and Grier was arrested without incident, police said. A passenger found with a gunshot wound later died in hospital.

A joint investigation into the hijacking will be conducted by the Atlanta Police Department and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

Atlanta was rocked Tuesday by two downtown shootings, which occurred just four blocks from each other. Although police say the incidents do not appear to be related, their alarming proximity – and the suspects’ lengthy criminal records – have drawn condemnation and concern from local authorities.

About two hours before the hijacking, a man fatally shot three people at a popular Atlanta food court. Police said the 34-year-old suspect, who was quickly arrested, is a convicted felon who has been arrested 11 times.

“Today has been a very active day, but let me be clear, we are talking about gun violence that is the result of too many people having guns in their hands,” said the Mayor Dickens at an evening press conference following the bus ride. diversion. “You’re talking about people who shouldn’t have taken to the streets with guns.”

Dickens said the spate of gun violence shows “something more needs to be done,” but noted that violent crime in the city was declining.

“So this day is not representative of all days in the city of Atlanta, but it is a day we will never forget,” the mayor said.

CNN’s Steve Almasy contributed to this report.