The hijacker led police on a chase with passengers aboard, killing one before being captured.
A deadly bus hijacking in Atlanta on Tuesday ended with one person dead and a suspect in custody after a tense police chase. The incident occurred around 4:30 p.m. when a gunman hijacked a Gwinnett County Transit bus carrying 17 passengers, including the driver. The gunman held a firearm to the driver’s head, warning him not to stop the bus. Police quickly responded, trailing the bus through multiple counties.
The chase involved a large police presence, including a BearCat vehicle that eventually trapped the bus after it had traveled through Gwinnett and DeKalb counties, covering approximately 20 miles. Once the bus stopped, passengers were able to disembark safely, but not before one person was tragically killed during the ordeal.
Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum confirmed that the suspect forced the driver to continue driving, and officers confronted the hijacker in a standoff situation. Mayor Andre Dickens expressed relief that law enforcement’s quick actions prevented further casualties, noting that it “seemed like something out of a movie.”
The hijacking occurred just after another violent incident in the city, where three people and a gunman were shot at a mall. The events have shaken the community, and authorities are continuing their investigation into both crimes.
