Atlanta hijacker witnessed Peachtree Center shooting

The man accused of hijacking a bus in downtown Atlanta on Tuesday and leading police on a three-county chase after fatally shooting a passenger had just witnessed the shooting hours earlier at the Peachtree Center food court and even spoke to reporters about what he did. seen.

Joseph Grier, 39, was charged Tuesday with one count of murder as well as one count of hijacking a motor vehicle, 13 counts of aggravated assault, 14 counts of kidnapping, a one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and one count of possession of a firearm or knife during the commission of a felony.

During his rampage, he allegedly snatched a gun from a bus passenger, shot that passenger, pointed the gun at the driver’s head and led police on a 45-minute chase as they rushed into rush hour traffic, clearing out cars.

The passenger, Ernest Byrd Jr., 58, died. There were 16 other people on the bus, including the driver.

Shortly before the hijacking, Grier gave reporters a disjointed account of what he saw inside the Peachtree Center mall, as well as information about his mental health and his 19 previous arrests.

“I’m bipolar, I’ll tell you all that, and I’m off my meds for about two weeks,” he said as people crowded around the Peachtree Center following the shooting at the center commercial at 2:15 p.m. four people were injured, including the shooter.

“I was scared because I didn’t have a gun,” Grier said, adding that he took shelter at a nearby Wells Fargo.

Just half an hour later, a 911 call was received indicating an armed man was holding 17 people hostage. Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said mental illness may have contributed to Grier’s actions.

During the shooting at the mall, Jeremy Malone, 34, got into a brief altercation with a 47-year-old Grayson man who he then shot, police said. He then shot two sisters, aged 69 and 70, before an off-duty Atlanta police officer arrested him. All four were expected to survive.

Malone and Grier were being held without bond.

With news feed services