A 70-year-old resident of the Four Seasons in Midtown Atlanta, Jay Stevens Berger, was taken into custody following a violent episode that resulted in a lockdown at the upscale hotel. Berger, who lived in the residential portion of the hotel, allegedly experienced a mental health crisis before causing the disturbance at the establishment, where rooms can cost up to $600 per night.
The incident unfolded around 10 a.m. on Tuesday when Berger confronted a hotel employee, prompting a call to the police due to concerns about his mental state. The situation escalated later in the day, around 4:30 p.m., when Berger began discharging bullets from his 33rd-floor balcony and hurling furniture onto the street below.
According to Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum, Berger then threatened an individual with a firearm and barricaded himself inside his room. This action triggered the deployment of SWAT teams and the evacuation of nearby floors in the hotel.
The situation became more severe as Berger started firing through his door and off his balcony into the city, resulting in a shelter-in-place order for surrounding blocks. Witnesses in a building opposite the hotel recorded Berger in a state of frenzied anger, tossing items off his balcony and randomly firing a handgun, narrowly missing bystanders.
Police reported that Berger was heavily armed, with at least three guns – a pistol, a shotgun, and a rifle – in his room, all of which were discharged during the standoff. He also had several knives in his possession. At one point, he even threw a gun from the balcony.
One SWAT officer was injured during the incident but is expected to make a full recovery. Berger, who had a visible bloody wound on his face, was eventually apprehended and transported in an ambulance. He is now facing charges of aggravated assault.