A female victim and her male assailant are dead following a standoff with Atlanta Police officers at Atlantic House in Midtown.
According to APD Chief Rodney Bryant, officers responded to a call of shots fired at the West Peachtree high-rise around 3:20 a.m. on Wednesday. Bryant said as soon as officers arrived on scene, the assailant opened fire on them.
Bryant said a woman was deceased inside her apartment and officers shot and killed the gunman, who was apparently jumping from balcony to balcony using multiple guns. He said the GBI would also be investigating the incident since the gunman was neutralized by an officer.
There were multiple videos from the scene posted on social media and Bryant asked that anyone with video or more details about the incident to contact APD.
The “active shooter” situation forced a lockdown of Atlantic House with management urging residents to stay inside their apartments. Still, many residents evacuated and had to be escorted back inside by police once the scene was secure.
The shooting also forced the closure of a number of Midtown streets around Atlantic House as investigators work to recover bullet fragments and gather evidence.
Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said during a morning press conference that “it appears the victim and shooter knew each other.”
“This seems to be the scenario with the majority of the shootings in Atlanta,” Bottoms said.
She also encouraged people to call 911 before picking up their phones or cameras to film crimes. “We received more information through social media than we did from 911,” Bottoms said. “Put down your camera and call 911.”
Bottoms and Bryant also praised the officers who got the scene under control so quickly. “This could have been much worse,” Bryant said.
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