ATLANTA — A man is in custody after shots were fired at the Four Seasons in Midtown Atlanta. The scene unfolded as police investigated a call for a barricaded gunman on Tuesday. Atlanta Police said the suspect and an Atlanta Police officer were taken to the hospital to be treated for injuries.
According to Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum, the call came at 10 a.m. as a mental health emergency in the residential part of the building on the 33rd floor. In a statement, the Four Seasons Hotel specified this took place in a residential condominium above the hotel. Schierbaum said the suspect refused to speak to police while they were attempting to negotiate with him.
Officers were warned that the man, later identified as Jay Stevens Berger, might have had a handgun, which prompted heavy law enforcement presence at the hotel on 14th Street. The hotel is down the street from Piedmont Park and not far from the Colony Square shopping mall.
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Schierbaum said officers began to worry that Berger might have access to more weapons and knives. Berger then allegedly began firing three different weapons, the APD police chief added. Authorities said one weapon was thrown off the balcony.
The APD chief said more than 15 shots were fired. It’s unclear how many of those were shot by the suspect and those shot by police. Schierbaum said two officers did fire their weapons during the exchange. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation was called in to investigate the "use of force incident."
Authorities did not identify the officer who was injured but did say that his injuries were “non-life-threatening.”
The active scene prompted a shelter-in-place that has since been lifted. But while the situation unfolded, APD officers were taking precautions, telling people who were within the Four Seasons site to avoid any windows and rooms facing the area.
Multiple roads were closed as a result of the investigation.
The 11Alive SkyTracker flew over the area as shots were being fired, and several police patrol vehicles could be seen outside the hotel in front of the entrance. 11Alive's Cody Alcorn was at the scene and heard multiple shots fired. He also stated he saw multiple snipers in surrounding buildings.
The Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta shared in its statement that while the incident took place in a residential condominium that the hotel doesn't manage, it's grateful for the swift response by APD. It also added that the hotel and the surrounding area are now back open.
"As always, the safety and security of our guests and employees is our top priority," the statement said.