ATLANTA — Newly released 911 calls offer a fuller picture of what was going through employees' heads Tuesday as a gunman sparked chaos at the Four Seasons Hotel in Midtown.
Dr. Jay Berger, 70, is accused of firing multiple rounds from his high-rise condominium, an incident that left an Atlanta Police Department (APD) officer injured and shocked those who know him.
During the 911 call, a security employee at the hotel can be heard telling dispatchers that one of the building's residents had pointed a gun at a residential manager with the building.
Later in the call, the association manager hops on the phone to describe what led up to the situation. In his words, he had been called up to investigate a mess in the hallway reported by another resident.
However, when he got there, the resident at the end of the hall (identified as Berger) pointed a gun at him and screamed, "Don't come any closer" and "I don't want to hurt anybody."
"I had a resident who's a neighbor, was going to the unit saw that there was a big -- it looked like there was a fight or mess in the hallway-- he asked me to come up to check it out. As I went up to check it out, the owner... was at the end, uh, opened his door and appeared to be aiming a firearm at me," the manager describes.
"Telling me not to come any closer, that he doesn't wanna hurt anybody, don't come any closer," he added. "He's rattling off all kinds of crazy."
The manager goes on to state that Berger is known among employees there to have mental episodes. As the call continues, the manager informs police that Berger is also "known to have firearms and weapons in his unit, along with lots of Nazi paraphernalia."
Full call
More on the shooting
According to witnesses inside the Four Seasons, something seemed wrong early in the afternoon as yelling echoed through the building’s halls. Residents say they saw Berger leaning out a 33rd-floor window, donning a gas mask and waving two American flags. He was reportedly pointing at people below and at one point, gave a thumbs-up gesture.
The standoff escalated when Berger allegedly began firing rounds through the walls, the door of his unit, and from the balcony. Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum confirmed that shots were directed outward, prompting SWAT officers to respond with additional tactical measures. Two APD officers reportedly discharged their weapons after Berger allegedly fired from the balcony.
After hours of attempted negotiation, APD officials observed Berger raise his hands in an apparent gesture of surrender. SWAT officers then entered the unit and took Berger into custody without further resistance.
According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Berger was hit by sniper fire during the incident. He was taken to the hospital in stable condition, and no update has yet been given.
The injured SWAT officer was identified Wednesday as Jonathan Caporaso. He has been released from the hospital and is recovering, according to APD.