A bus hijacking incident occurred in metro Atlanta on Tuesday, June 12, 2024, resulting in one fatality and the arrest of a suspect. The hijacking took place around 4:30 pm on Ivan Allen Boulevard.
According to various sources including Atlanta Police Department and CNN, passengers were inside the bus when a gunman identified as Joseph Grier, a felon with 19 prior convictions, hijacked it. The gunman held the bus driver at gunpoint and forced him to flee, leading authorities on a high-speed chase across multiple jurisdictions.
During the chase, passengers called loved ones and 911 for help. The ensuing police pursuit involved several agencies and zigzagged across highway lanes and suburban streets as the bus led officers on a wild ride.
The chase ended near 5107 Hugh Howell Road in Stone Mountain, where the suspect was taken into custody without further incident. However, an adult victim was found inside the bus with a gunshot wound and later succumbed to their injury at an area hospital.
More than a dozen passengers were on the bus but no further injuries were reported. The investigation remains active and ongoing.
The hijacking came not long after a shooting incident at a downtown food court in Atlanta, where an off-duty officer shot and ended the gunman's threat. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
