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MARTA incidents raise safety concerns
Answers and a plan moving forward. That's what one Atlanta City Councilman says he wants from MARTA leadership. This comes after a string of events within the last month.
ATLANTA - A man was hospitalized Wednesday afternoon after being shot during a fight at the H.E. Holmes MARTA station.
Shooting at H.E. Holmes MARTA station
What we know:
MARTA Police Chief Scott Kreher said the incident happened around 1:45 p.m. in the station’s bus loop, where two men got into an argument and one opened fire, hitting the other in the stomach. A MARTA police officer patrolling inside the station responded immediately.
The victim was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital and rushed into surgery.
MARTA Police, along with Atlanta police, are actively searching for the shooter.
Transit service at H.E. Holmes was briefly disrupted but has since returned to normal for both bus and rail operations, according to a MARTA representative.
What we don't know:
The condition of the victim has not been released following surgery.
A description of the shooter has not been released.
MARTA PD search for shooter
What they're saying:
The gunman fled and remains at large. "We have 300-plus employees that work hard each and every day to keep our public safe, keep our riders safe, and this is just another example of the gun violence we see pretty regular," Kreher said. "Today’s another example of young people with guns and how they operate. Just yesterday, we arrested a 15-year-old with an assault weapon on one of our properties."
Recent MARTA woes
Dig deeper:
The shooting is the latest in a series of incidents.
On July 26, a man was shot on a train approaching Buckhead station.
Earlier this month, two MARTA police officers were injured after confronting a man urinating inside the Five Points station.
Atlanta police are also searching for a suspect accused of raping a woman inside the H.E. Holmes station.
Surveillance video recently showed the chaotic moments when an escalator malfunction injured nearly a dozen people.
MARTA also faced a leadership shakeup when CEO Collie Greenwood stepped down on July 18, citing immigration issues.
Is MARTA ready for the World Cup?
The other side:
Atlanta City Council member Michael Julian Bond says he wants answers and a concrete safety plan from MARTA leadership after a string of violent incidents in recent weeks, including a shooting Wednesday afternoon at the H.E. Holmes station in southwest Atlanta.
Bond said safety is a priority for everyday riders as well as the thousands of visitors expected for next year’s FIFA World Cup. "We need a serious recommitment from MARTA," he said.
Bond said these issues must be addressed quickly, especially with the international spotlight of the World Cup approaching. "These are things that have to be addressed immediately. The United States, unlike the rest of the world, particularly the European countries, depend on public transit," he said.
What's next:
Kreher said the two officers injured last week are at home recovering.
Investigators hope to release a picture of the H.E. Holmes shooting suspect before the end of the day.