Four Seasons Atlanta on lockdown as gunman barricades himself inside
Terrifying footage showed a masked gunman firing from a high-floor balcony of the luxury Four Seasons hotel in Atlanta.
The unidentified gunman, wearing a light-colored rubber mask, fired a round of rapid-fire Tuesday afternoon at people who were filming him from another balcony.
A man and a woman stood filming the dystopian scene from the apparent safety of their apartment building a few blocks away, watching in amazement as the gunman threw furniture from the balcony.
But things took a dark turn when he pulled out a gun and started firing it at them. The segment ended quickly – probably as the people in the apartment took cover, but shots were heard close to them.
A terrifying photo of a masked man on the balcony of the Four Seasons hotel in Atlanta, where he opened fire on a nearby building
This is the moment a masked man threw items off the balcony of the Four Seasons Hotel in Atlanta on Tuesday afternoon before opening fire
The unidentified gunman, wearing a light-colored rubber mask, fired a round of rapid fire at people filming him from another balcony just as the clip ended.
Police and SWAT teams rushed to the five-star, $500-a-night hotel after a man pulled a gun on someone on a high floor in the hotel, police said. WSBTV.
It is unclear what prompted the shooting and whether there were any injuries or deaths.
Authorities have issued a shelter-in-place order and asked people in the area to avoid windows and rooms overlooking the area.
Reporters on the scene in the Georgia city said they heard several gunshots coming from the building, which is 53 stories high.
Due to the incident, several roads around the hotel have been temporarily closed while the situation continues.
A chair is seen being thrown from the balcony of the 53-storey building
Authorities have issued a shelter-in-place order and asked people in the area to avoid windows and rooms overlooking the area
A SWAT officer is seen at the Four Seasons during the shooting at the hotel Tuesday afternoon
Fox5 reported that shortly after 3:30 p.m., all media on site were asked to evacuate the area.
Journalist Cody Alcorn with 11Alive shared footage of sniper teams in the area after also reporting shots had been fired.
Atlanta News First reported that officers responded to a call of a “person with dementia.”
Officials said in a statement: “Officers are investigating an armed person at 75 14th St NE. Please shelter in place or stay away.
‘Citizens within the Four Seasons Hotel premises are advised to avoid windows and rooms with views of the surrounding area. Units have established a perimeter to safely investigate the matter.”