ATLANTA — A suspect is in custody after allegedly barricading himself inside of a Midtown high rise and opening fire from the balcony on Tuesday afternoon.
The incident unfolded at the Midtown Four Seasons off 14th Street in Atlanta. A heavy law enforcement presence responded, and officers set up a perimeter around 12th/13th Street, W Peachtree Street, Crescent Street, Peachtree Street and Peachtree Walk.
11Alive was down on the ground outside the building and heard multiple rounds of gunshots before the situation was ultimately resolved.
Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum and Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens held a news conference on Tuesday afternoon to explain what transpired. Here is what we know about the situation.
What we know about barricaded gunman call at Midtown Four Seasons
- Atlanta Police said the call came in a little before 2 p.m., which prompted a heavy law enforcement response at the Four Seasons in Midtown on 14th Street.
- Schierbaum said it all started from a dispute between a Four Seasons employee and the suspect on the 33rd floor of the residential side of the Four Seasons.
- APD said that the man, identified as 70-year-old Jay Stevens Berger, had a handgun on him during the altercation with the employee. Chief Schierbaum described the incident as a mental health emergency.
- Atlanta Police officers were asked to respond to the room, and when they approached the door, they asked Berger to come out peacefully.
- Officers learned that Berger allegedly had access to other weapons -- specifically a handgun, a shotgun, a rifle and several knives.
- That's when APD's tactical team was activated, and the SWAT team responded. The 33rd floor, along with the 32nd and 34th floors, were all evacuated as efforts began for the suspect to surrender peacefully, police said.
- Schierbaum said that's when the suspect began firing his weapons. Shots were fired through the walls and the door of the unit, and one round was fired from the balcony, according to police. The chief said they saw Berger throw at least one weapon off the balcony. In total, police said that approximately 15 rounds were fired by the suspect.
- Berger was taken into custody by law enforcement inside the Four Seasons just before 5 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon. Schierbaum said they saw him raise his hands as if he were surrendering, and that's when the SWAT team went inside and arrested him.
- He is being charged with aggravated assault but is expected to face more charges.
- During the incident, one Atlanta Police officer was injured. It's unclear how the officer was hurt. The officer was taken to Grady Hospital, but injuries are not expected to be life-threatening.
- Two officers fired their weapons at Beger after Schierbaum said the suspect began firing his gun off the balcony.
- Berger was seen being stretchered off and put into an ambulance. He was taken to Grady Hospital to be treated for his injuries, which are not yet known.
- Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said the suspect was wearing what appeared to be a gas mask, so officers did not know whether the suspect had chemical irritants that would be harmful when trying to take him into custody.
- "We saw bravery. We saw an effort to make sure we preserve life," Schierbaum said about his officers' response.
You can watch the full news conference below: