ATLANTA, GA – An off-duty police officer in Atlanta intervened during a shooting at the Peachtree Center Food Court on Tuesday afternoon, halting a gunman who had already injured three people. Authorities responded to the scene in downtown Atlanta shortly after 2:30 p.m.
Mayor Andre Dickens confirmed that four individuals, including the shooter, were wounded in the incident. The Peachtree Center, a bustling complex of office towers and an underground mall, was placed on lockdown as police secured the area.
According to Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum, the violence erupted when a 34-year-old man entered the food court and engaged in a heated argument with another man. The suspect, a convicted felon with 11 prior arrests, fired his weapon, striking his initial target and two women nearby.
The chaos was curtailed by an off-duty officer from Atlanta’s Zone 1, who shot the gunman, effectively neutralizing the threat. Chief Schierbaum noted that the suspect had previously served time for armed robbery and should not have had access to a firearm.
Mayor Dickens lauded the officer’s swift action, stating, “Had he not been there, things could have gotten worse.” The victims, identified as a 47-year-old man and two women aged 69 and 70, were transported to Grady Memorial Hospital for treatment.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has assumed control of the investigation due to the officer-involved shooting. Several blocks of Peachtree Street were cordoned off with crime scene tape as police and emergency responders worked at the scene.