Clayton police canvassed a Hampton neighborhood Wednesday afternoon in search of a man who allegedly used a rifle to target a school bus two days earlier.
More than 50 officers were sent door-to-door in search of the man who a witness said aimed a rifle at a bus as children boarded. No shots were fired, and no one on the bus was aware of the incident until Monday afternoon, when school officials were notified by police.
Clayton County Police Chief Gregory Porter told reporters that investigators have identified several persons of interest in the case but did not offer specifics.
So far, the best evidence police have recovered is the weapon itself, a Marlin .22 left at the scene, off Paladin Drive and Hyde Court in the Greystone neighborhood.
Investigators have enlisted the help of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms in hopes of obtaining more clues from the firearm, said Clayton police spokesman Phong Nguyen.
Codarrius Brewer, 20, who lives off Paladin Drive in south Clayton, was outside with his uncle when they spotted a suspicious individual in a neighbor's backyard.
"He wasn't really hiding," Brewer told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "At first we were just trying to figure out what he was doing."
When it became clear the man was aiming a rifle at a school bus, Brewer said he yelled out, causing the suspect to drop his rifle and flee on foot. Brewer said he chased the man, who he described as in his early 20s, until the suspect fired at him using a second gun.
The man also left behind a notebook, Brewer said. Nguyen would not comment on the contents of that notebook.
Police shadowed school buses to and from six county schools Wednesday and will continue to do so through the end of the week, when the school year ends, Nguyen said.
Late Wednesday afternoon, police were still going door-to-door in Greystone, according to the police spokesman.
Meanwhile, police and school officials defended their response to the incident.
Doug Hendrix, a spokesman for Clayton schools, said the system didn't notify parents until Tuesday because they weren't told about the incident until after classes were dismissed Monday afternoon.
"We took, and continue to take, necessary precautions with law enforcement to ensure the safety of our students," he said. "Suspending outdoor activities and police escorts of buses are measures that have all been put in place."
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