A woman sitting aboard a MARTA bus became the latest victim of Atlanta’s surge in gun violence when a bullet tore through the windshield and grazed her neck, authorities said.
It’s unclear what prompted the shooting, which happened about 9:15 p.m. Thursday near the intersection of Lindbergh Drive and Piedmont Road, a MARTA spokeswoman told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Authorities said the woman was conscious and responsive when MARTA police arrived on scene. She was taken to a hospital, but her condition wasn’t immediately available.
“A preliminary investigation shows the gun was fired outside the bus and the bullet came through the windshield and grazed the woman’s neck,” MARTA spokeswoman Stephany Fisher said in an emailed statement.
Authorities have not said if the shooting was captured on surveillance footage from the bus or if they have identified any suspects. There was a large police presence late into the evening as officers shut down the road and blocked off the area.
MARTA said its officers are assisting Atlanta police in the investigation.
The number of shootings across the city is up by nearly 30% from this time last year, and that portion of northeast Atlanta hasn’t been immune from the rise in violence. A nearby Taco Mac that had been there for 15 years abruptly closed its doors for good this month, citing among other things, rising crime in the area.
“Since 2006 ... the climate of the atmosphere around Lindbergh has drastically changed,” the popular restaurant chain told its customers. “The combination of recent restaurant closures in the development, safety challenges in the parking garage and a recent uptick of crime in Buckhead has made this location no longer safe for our team members.”
The Atlanta Police Department has launched several initiatives aimed at combating violent crime, which has become a central issue in this year’s race for City Hall. Those plans include hiring more officers, targeting the hardest-hit areas of the city, addressing gun violence and gangs, and shifting department resources to increase officers’ presence.
“We’ve seen an uptick in crime throughout Atlanta and I want to reassure the citizens of Atlanta that we will be vigilant,” Atlanta police Chief Rodney Bryant said recently. “We want to be able to put more police officers out on the street. So we’re adjusting our administrative personnel as well, where they will be deployed out into areas to supplement the day-to-day patrols that you are seeing.”
Officials are also adding a mini-precinct to Zone 2, which includes Buckhead, to focus on traffic calls. The department said the move will free up other officers to focus on higher-priority calls.
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