A tragic incident unfolded in Atlanta on Friday afternoon, leaving a man dead and a woman critically injured in what police are calling a brutal assault and suicide. The chaos erupted near the Hilton Atlanta, in the heart of the city’s hotel district.
The Atlanta Police Department (APD) rushed to the Altitude Luxury Apartments at 250 Piedmont Ave. NE, close to John Portman Boulevard, just after 2:24 p.m. following multiple 911 calls about a shooting. When officers arrived, they found a man who had fallen from a window of the building and died. Investigators believe the fall was intentional.
“It appears a man jumped from the 19th floor to his death, and a person was shot at the same location,” explained Atlanta Police Homicide Commander Lt. Andrew Smith.
Inside the apartment on the 19th floor, officers found a woman who had been both shot and stabbed. She was rushed to Grady Memorial Hospital and remains in critical condition.
“There was a domestic dispute inside an apartment where a woman was shot. We believe the man responsible is the same individual who jumped from the 19th floor,” Lt. Smith added.
The aftermath was captured on aerial footage, showing police cars and emergency vehicles surrounding the area near the Hilton Atlanta. Officers scoured the scene for clues, piecing together what led to the violence.
Rashad Leach, a resident of the building, described the shocking moments. “I just heard the shots, and the next thing you know, there were police everywhere,” he said. Although Leach didn’t know the man personally, he had encountered him before. “I’ve ridden the elevator with him. It’s really sad—you never know what someone might be going through.”
Another resident expressed hope for the woman’s recovery. “I hope she can heal, physically and emotionally. It’s hard to even imagine going through something like this,” they said.
As part of their investigation, police are reviewing any history of domestic violence involving the apartment. “We have a dedicated domestic violence team to handle cases like these and educate victims,” said Lt. Smith. “Despite these efforts, tragedies like this still happen.”
The names of the individuals involved have not been released, and the APD Homicide Unit is continuing to investigate the incident.
