A man was shot aboard a MARTA bus Thursday evening following an altercation near Covington Highway and Panola Road in DeKalb County, according to police. The victim was rushed to Grady Memorial Hospital, and one person has been detained in connection with the shooting.
The shooting happened at about 7:04 p.m. aboard MARTA bus 7038, which was operating on Route 115, according to FOX 5 Atlanta. The bus was close to the intersection of Covington Highway and Panola Road when the gunfire erupted, per CBS News Atlanta. Preliminary information indicates an altercation broke out between passengers before the man was shot, as first reported by Atlanta News First.
The victim was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital, though his condition remains unknown. Officials have not released his name, and there is no update on how he is doing, per the station's report.
Detainment Made, But No Charges Announced Yet
Police detained one individual in connection with the shooting, but authorities have not publicly identified that person or announced formal charges, the same account notes. MARTA Police and DeKalb County Police canvassed the surrounding area in the aftermath, working to piece together what happened in the moments before shots were fired.
MARTA Police are leading the ongoing investigation, and the specific motive or details surrounding what triggered the argument remain under investigation. Atlanta News First has said it plans to provide updates as more information becomes available.
Not the First Violence Tied to MARTA Service This Year
Thursday's shooting adds to a string of violent incidents connected to MARTA service in recent months. In July, two bus passengers were injured late one Wednesday night after a gun's “accidental discharge” aboard a Route 5 bus in Sandy Springs, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. That incident, which happened around 11:15 p.m. near Roswell and Glenridge roads, left one person shot in the right leg and stable, while a man described as the suspect was shot in the left forearm before being taken into custody at a nearby Church of Scientology building after fleeing a short distance.
In June, a woman was shot after a fight broke out in a parking lot near a MARTA bus stop in DeKalb County, according to Atlanta News First's earlier coverage. She was found on a bench with a gunshot wound and rushed to the hospital in critical condition. MARTA Police Chief Scott Kreher said at the time that the shooting happened nearby, not at the bus stop itself, and police later arrested a suspect, 30-year-old Kyla Ward, at Five Points MARTA Station with a gun on her; she was booked into the DeKalb County Jail on aggravated assault and firearms charges.
MARTA's own published crime data shows the transit system recorded 2.72 Part I crimes per one million unlinked passenger boardings in May, according to figures posted on MARTA's crime statistics page. The Thursday shooting remains under active investigation, with no charges filed and the motive still unconfirmed as MARTA Police continue working the case.
