Georgia gunman hijacks commuter bus, leaves one dead

A Georgia man hijacked a commuter bus, held the driver and 17 riders at gunpoint, and led a trail of police cars on a miles-long chase through Atlanta traffic on Tuesday.

The suspect, 39-year-old Joseph Grier, was arrested after a Georgia State Patrol officer shot the bus’s engine compartment, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said. Police also threw spike strips on the roadway to impede the bus.

Authorities said the hijacking occurred after Grier – a convicted felon whose criminal record includes 19 arrests – argued with another bus passenger, who pulled a gun on him.

Grier then wrestled the firearm away from the man, shot him and ordered the bus driver to flee, according to state investigators.

The wounded bus passenger died later at hospital.

The suspect is accused of putting “a gun to the head of a bus driver saying, ‘Don’t stop this bus or else worse will happen’”, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens told reporters.

As the bus zig-zagged through streets and rammed into other cars, anxious passengers called and sent text messages to loved ones and authorities pleading for help.

Grier faces one count of murder, 14 counts of kidnapping, 13 counts of aggravated assault and one count of hijacking a motor vehicle in the first degree. He is also charged with one count each of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and of possession of a firearm or knife during the commission of or attempt to commit certain felonies.

Johnny Gilbert said his wife called him from the bus and told him Grier had been acting “kinda crazy”.

Fearing she may be shot, he instructed her to put the phone down and “just sit still”, Mr Gilbert told CNN.

Police said a passenger on the bus made an emergency call and stayed on the line with them, which helped lead to the suspect’s arrest.

Dennis Durham, an eyewitness, told news station WSB-TV that the bus’s path was chaotic. The bus “just knocked through a lot of these cars and made them hit each other.

“I saw so many police cars in so many different areas my head was swimming.”

Police used several tactics to disable the bus, including positioning an armoured vehicle next to it to limit the bus’s ability to maneuver, police said.

Eventually, the bus came to a halt in Atlanta suburb Stone Mountain.

Passengers climbed out of the bus and Mr Grier was arrested.

Police said a joint investigation will be conducted by the Atlanta Police Department and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

The hijacking incident was the second violent shooting in Atlanta on Tuesday.

Hours earlier, a man shot and wounded three people in a popular food court.

Grier, who was outside the food court at the time, was interviewed about the shooting by reporters, mentioning his criminal history and mental health, the Associated Press reported.

He appeared agitated and described himself as a “snitch” for explaining what he witnessed.

“I’m bipolar, I’m gonna tell you all that, and I’m off my medication for like two weeks,” he said, according to the news agency.