As chaos unfolded at the Midtown Four Seasons on Tuesday, a witness recalled the harrowing moments leading up to the shooting, stating the armed Atlanta gunman was "agitated and screaming" before opening fire, prompting a swift response from police and leaving hotel guests barricaded in their rooms.
A witness inside the hotel shared her experience as Atlanta Police responded to a barricaded gunman situation, which began around 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Officers confirmed that one person has been taken into custody, according to 11 Alive.
The witness, who was locked inside her suite and instructed not to leave under any circumstances, said that hotel management advised all guests to stay in their rooms and warned those outside to remain far away.
"I went out on my balcony, and I see him, and he's wearing a gas mask and holding the flags. Well, first of all, around 1:30, I think we started hearing it. And then, about 20 minutes later, we hear the guy still getting a little agitated and screaming. And then we started hearing shots, and normally I was thinking law enforcement shooting. And then we saw SWAT. And we just heard errant shots since," the woman revealed.
Initially, hotel security attempted to manage the situation, but as the alleged suspect became increasingly agitated, the witness recorded videos of the scene, leading to the police's response.
She expressed her fear, stating, "I have been shaking in my room due to how scary the scene is," adding that people inside the building were "alarmed."
Multiple shots have been reported as 11Alive is live outside the location. Officers set up a perimeter to safely investigate the matter, urging residents to avoid 12th Street/13 Street, W Peachtree St, Crescent St, Peachtree St, and Peachtree Walk.
