A person was fatally shot on a commuter bus on Tuesday afternoon after a chaotic chase from Atlanta to a nearby suburb, where the bus struck several vehicles during rush hour with scared passengers onboard, officials said.
TV news helicopters followed the intense pursuit of the Gwinnett County Transit bus, which started when police responded to reports of gunfire and a possible hostage situation around 4:30 p.m. near downtown Atlanta.
Helicopter footage showed the bus hitting multiple vehicles and even driving on the wrong side of the road with police in pursuit. At one point, an officer was seen on a highway deploying a device to try to stop the bus. Despite these efforts, the bus continued weaving through traffic.
A commuter bus in the middle of the road (Via Rafael Stoinis/Shutterstock)
According to Atlanta police, the bus was finally stopped miles away in DeKalb County. Joseph Grier, 39, was arrested, and police discovered an adult victim with a gunshot wound inside the bus. The victim, whose name has not been released, was taken to a hospital but succumbed to their injuries.
There were 17 people on the bus, including the driver, but no other injuries were reported. Photos from the scene showed a police SWAT vehicle blocking the bus and a firetruck nearby. The bus’s digital sign above the windshield still displayed emergency messages and instructions to call 911.
Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum stated that an officer arrived at the initial incident within a minute of the 911 call. When the officer confronted the suspect, the man allegedly compelled the bus driver to flee the scene.
