(Rightallegiance.com) – A 34-year-old man with a history of criminal activity injured three people in a bustling food court in downtown Atlanta on Tuesday before being shot by a police officer and taken into custody, according to officials. The incident has raised concerns about gun violence and the need for stricter gun control measures.
The three victims, a 47-year-old man, a 69-year-old woman, and a 70-year-old woman, are all receiving treatment at hospitals and are expected to survive their injuries. The shooting took place during the busy lunchtime at Peachtree Center, a hub of office spaces and stores, where a large crowd of people were present, as described by Mayor Andre Dickens.
Police Chief Darin Schierbaum reported that the suspect entered the food court armed with a handgun and engaged in a brief altercation with a person before shooting them. He then proceeded to shoot two more people in the food court.
An off-duty Atlanta Police officer who was working an extra job at the time confronted the suspect and shot him, resulting in his injury. Another officer helped disarm the suspect by kicking the gun away from him, ensuring the safety of those in the area.
The suspect, a convicted felon who has previously served time for armed robbery and has been arrested 11 times before, is now in custody. Police are investigating how the suspect was connected to the first person he attacked.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation will be leading the investigation into the case. Following the shooting, Peachtree Center was placed on lockdown but has since reopened, allowing the businesses and offices to resume their activities.
Later that day, another man in Atlanta allegedly held a commuter bus driver at gunpoint and led police on a chase while over a dozen passengers were still in the vehicle. The suspect was taken into custody, and one person who was found shot on the bus has died. Authorities believe the two incidents are not connected.
Mayor Dickens stated that the events of the day demonstrate the need to address the issue of gun violence, as there are too many guns in the hands of people who shouldn’t have them. He emphasized the importance of mental health in some of these cases but also highlighted that there are too many guns on the streets, in homes, schools, and buses. Dickens believes that more needs to be done to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.