A search for a shooting suspect in west Midtown Atlanta lasted nearly five hours Wednesday afternoon, leaving an apartment complex and nearby restaurants on high alert as law enforcement swarmed the area.
But shortly after 5 p.m., the search came to a peaceful end when negotiators convinced the man to surrender from a unit at The Brady Apartments, Atlanta police said. The man, identified as 38-year-old Ryan Andrews, was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and possession of a firearm during the attempt to commit a felony.
After Andrews was handcuffed and led away in a patrol car, officers were able to reopen a portion of Howell Mill Road that had been shut down while a SWAT team searched for the suspect. But the nearby Superica West Midtown restaurant remained closed for the evening.
The shooting happened shortly after noon outside The Brady’s leasing office, police said. According to an arrest warrant, Andrews was observed on video cameras shooting the victim several times with a handgun. No details were released about a possible motive or what may have led to the shooting.
The victim, who has not been publicly identified, was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital, where he was stable, a police spokesperson said.
Ally Sabath, who lives in the complex, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution she was working when she heard between six and seven gunshots.
“The gunshots happened and then I heard a man screaming from being shot,” she said.
When she looked outside, Sabath saw the man bent over, holding his arm and bleeding in the parking lot. He was able to make it to Superica, where an employee let him inside until an ambulance arrived.
Later Wednesday, investigators determined the suspect was still in the area and believed to be in an apartment, forcing some residents to be evacuated. Other residents of The Brady were asked to shelter in place by complex management while the search continued, according to messages sent to tenants.
“We ask that you remain inside your home and shelter in place until the APD has cleared the scene,” residents were told. “If you are not at home, please refrain from coming back to the property at this time.”
Within an hour of Andrews’ arrest, things appeared nearly normal again in the area. Police said the incident remains under investigation.
