Off-duty Atlanta police officer shoots convicted felon who opened fire in food court, injuring 3 people

An off-duty Atlanta police officer shot a gunman who opened fire in a food court Tuesday afternoon, injuring three people. 

Police responded to Peachtree Center in downtown Atlanta around 2:30 p.m. 

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said four people were shot – including the alleged shooter – at the Peachtree Center Food Court. He took to X to say the building was on lockdown at the time.

Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said a 34-year-old man entered the food court and got into an argument with another man.

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The suspected shooter, who is a convicted felon and has been arrested 11 times, shot that man, as well as two other women. An off-duty Atlanta Zone 1 police officer shot the suspect, putting an end to the incident. 

Schierbaum said the suspect has served prison time for armed robbery who “should never have been in possession of a gun.” 

Mayor Dickens praised the responding officer who wounded the gunman, saying, “Had he not been there, things could have gotten worse.” 

The victims were a 47-year-old man, and two women, one 69 and another aged 70. All the victims were transported to Grady Memorial Hospital . 

Peachtree Center is a complex of office towers and an underground mall within blocks of several hotels servicing Atlanta’s busy convention business.

Several blocks of Peachtree Street were blocked off with crime scene tape as police officers and firefighters converged on the scene.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has taken over the investigation since it is an officer-involved shooting. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.