Tragedy followed an act of violence Tuesday when Joseph Grier, 39, after speaking to reporters about a shooting he witnessed at Atlanta's Peachtree Center, later escalated into a suspect of hijacking a Gwinnett County transit bus and murder. Atlanta News First reported that Grier, who has bipolar disorder and mentioned he had been without medication for a fortnight, discussed the mall shooting with journalists before the hijacking occurred.
Before the fatal bus incident, Grier was interviewed at the scene of the Peachtree Center shooting, where The Atlanta Journal-Constitution noted him making rambling statements about his ability to fend off the shooter and discussing his criminal history which includes 19 previous arrests, after which roughly 30 minutes later there was a call about the hijacking about a gunman on a bus threatening passengers and later committing murder. Grier was accused of disarming another passenger who had a gun, taking several people hostage before the chase ensued, ending with Georgia State Patrol disabling the bus, whereupon Grier was taken in custody, and Ernest Byrd Jr., 58, was found fatally wounded.
The Atlanta mayor confirmed the driver was held at gunpoint for the duration of the incident, which spanned several counties and saw the bus weaving through traffic as police gave chase. "We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of our beloved husband, father, friend, uncle and grandfather," the Byrd family expressed in a statement conveyed by Atlanta News First, reflecting on the event and calling for a measured response from the public.
Earlier that day, Alexander Malone was involved in the Peachtree Center shooting that resulted in four people being injured before an off-duty officer stopped him with gunfire. The GBI, handling the case, indicated Malone also possessed a considerable criminal record, including a history of armed robbery and indecency, further detailed by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Grier, in a landscape pregnant with the scars of violence, would move from the position of witness to principal actor in another act of violence, the separate incidents on that day not being overtly connected.
Both Grier and Malone are currently in custody, with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution stating that Grier's brawl turned hijacking on the bus and subsequent charges will be transferred to Gwinnett County after a conflict of interest arose involving an employee of the Fulton County District Attorney's office who was present on the bus during the incident.
