3 May, ATLANTA: A gunman opened fire inside a building in Atlanta’s Midtown neighborhood on Wednesday afternoon, injuring multiple people and triggering a massive police response.
The Atlanta Police Department said on Twitter that the active shooter was inside a building on West Peachtree Street, between 12th and 13th Streets. No suspect was in custody as of 4 p.m. local time.
Police urged anyone in the area to secure their building and shelter in place. They also asked the public to avoid the area and respect the emergency vehicles.
According to local media reports, at least four people were shot and taken to hospitals. Their conditions were not immediately known.
The building where the shooting took place is reportedly an office complex that houses several businesses, including a law firm and a consulting firm.
Witnesses told reporters that they heard multiple gunshots and saw people running out of the building. Some said they saw a man wearing a mask and carrying a rifle.
The motive for the shooting was not clear. Police said they were working to clear the building and locate the shooter.
The shooting comes amid a surge of gun violence in Atlanta and across the nation. In March, a gunman killed eight people, including six Asian women, at three spas in the Atlanta area. In April, another gunman killed four people at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis.