Atlanta Mayor, Police Chief Discuss Shooting, Bus Hijacking

ATLANTA — At a news conference Wednesday morning about the city’s summer security plan, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum reflected and shared insights information on Tuesday’s Peachtree Center shooting and Gwinnett bus hijacking.

Dickens and Schierbaum both highlighted the excellent work and collaboration done by Atlanta’s first responders in handling both situations and how much credit is due to good training.

“Yesterday you did not let this city down,” Schierbaum said. “When we have a critical incident, everyone comes together.”

The speakers also clarified that investigators found no link between the shooting and the hijacking. 11Alive interviewed hijacking suspect Joseph Grier as a witness to the shooting. But as Schierbaum said, there appears to be no connection.

Regarding the Peachtree Center shooting, both men reiterated that all victims are expected to make a full recovery. There also does not appear to be any relationship between the shooter and any of his victims, although two of them are sisters.

Authorities said a passenger called 911 and held the line open while the bus was hijacked, providing vital information to law enforcement despite Grier’s requests.

Dickens and Schierbaum also discussed gun crime and the need to hold repeat offenders accountable, as both individuals involved were convicted felons with firearms. The shooting suspect, Jeremy Malone, has 11 prior arrests, while Grier has 19.

“This is the type of senseless acts of violence that we are trying to prevent here,” Dickens said.

The two also discussed how judges, especially at the county level, need to be involved in the conversation about holding repeat offenders accountable.

“Judges need to be part of this conversation, and I applaud the judges who are part of it,” Schierbaum said.