Man accused of hijacking bus in Atlanta charged with murder, other crimes
A man accused of hijacking a commuter bus in downtown Atlanta, fatally shooting one person and leading police on a chase through three counties faces more than two dozen criminal charges, including murder
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A man accused of hijacking a commuter bus in downtown Atlanta, fatally shooting one person and leading police on a chase through three counties faces more than two dozen criminal charges, including murder.
Eric Grier, 39, was taken into custody Tuesday after police got the bus to stop in suburban DeKalb County and was booked into the Fulton County Jail early Wednesday. He was being held without bond, and online jail records did not list a lawyer who could comment on the charges. Relatives who might be able to comment could not immediately be identified.
Atlanta police say they responded just after 4:30 p.m. Tuesday to a report of gunfire on a bus and a possible hostage situation. When an officer arrived about a minute later and confronted the suspect, the man forced the bus driver to drive off, Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said.
Television news helicopter footage showed the bus striking multiple vehicles during the subsequent chase and crossing onto the wrong side of a road with police in pursuit. The bus was eventually stopped miles away in neighboring DeKalb County, where news footage showed Grier being led from the bus in handcuffs.
Schierbaum said there were 17 people on the bus, including the driver. As officers cleared the bus of passengers, they found an adult victim with a gunshot wound. Authorities said that person, whose name was not immediately released, was taken to a hospital and died from injuries.
Earlier Tuesday afternoon, police said a man shot three people in at a food court in downtown Atlanta before he was shot by an off-duty police officer. Schierbaum said the suspect and the three victims were taken to hospitals for treatment but were all expected to survive.
Grier is charged with one count of murder, one count of hijacking a motor vehicle, 13 counts of aggravated assault, 14 counts of kidnapping, one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and one count of possession of a firearm or knife during the commission of a crime.