Atlanta police and a SWAT team were called out Tuesday afternoon after an armed suspect allegedly barricaded himself inside a luxury Georgia hotel in downtown Atlanta and began shooting.
At a press conference at approximately 5:15 p.m., Atlanta Police Department Chief Darrin Schielbaum and Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens provided additional information about the incident.
Schierbaum identified 70-year-old J. Stevens Berger as the suspect, saying he was suffering from a mental health crisis and got into an argument with a hotel employee around 10 a.m. Tuesday.
Berger lives in a hotel and was seen on his balcony wearing a red mask at the time of the incident.
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The suspect was spotted on the balcony of the Four Seasons Hotel in Atlanta. (Waga)
Police said Berger was armed with multiple weapons, including knives and guns, and added that they believe he fired at least 15 shots.
“While the investigation was ongoing, he began firing his weapon,” Seelbaum said. “We believe he fired at least three different types of weapons: a handgun, a shotgun, and a rifle through the wall.”
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One witness told Fox News affiliate WAGA that the incident felt like something out of the video game “Grand Theft Auto.”
“We heard 10 gunshots. We went outside and caught everything on camera as the guy threw the couch and shot the gun. It was very chaotic, very random,” Khalil said.・Hagans said. “This is Atlanta. This isn’t a real place.”
Another witness told the news station that the gunman was so aggressive that police prevented him from moving anywhere.
“So, we looked up and were trying to look for him. And we found him. We stared at him for about five seconds, and you know the next At that moment, ‘Boom, boom, boom,’ he started shooting again, and we were just kind of bending over here and just watching him,” Jordan Hall said. “It was like being in the middle of a movie.”
Police are responding to a suspect who barricaded himself at the Four Seasons Hotel in Atlanta. (Waga)
One Atlanta police officer was injured but his injuries were not life-threatening, police said, and police ordered a shelter-in-place after the shooting began. At least two other officers opened fire, police said.
Police said multiple charges will be filed against Berger, including aggravated assault and reckless endangerment.
“We witnessed courage, we witnessed life-saving efforts,” Seelbaum said.
A large police presence can be seen outside the hotel. (Waga)
The latest information from police comes after Atlanta police confirmed they are searching for a suspect who barricaded himself at the Four Seasons Hotel in Midtown after a reported shooting.
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In an update around 4:30 p.m., police said the suspect had been arrested and taken into custody and the shelter-in-place order had been lifted.
