Expand / Collapse search
☰

Barricaded Four Seasons suspect's standoff detailed in arrest warrants

By
Updated  November 12, 2024 11:20pm EST
Midtown
FOX 5 Atlanta

Four Seasons Midtown Atlanta shooting 911 calls released

FOX 5 Atlanta obtained copies of the new arrest warrants that suggest the accused Midtown Four Seasons Hotel shooter, Jay Berger, was in the middle of a mental health crisis.

The Brief

    • Jay Berger, a 70-year-old ophthalmologist, fired shots from his apartment on the 33rd floor of the Four Seasons in Midtown Atlanta, resulting in a standoff with police.
    • Berger was reported to be undergoing a mental health crisis and had previously brandished a firearm at a building manager.
    • SWAT team member was slightly injured by gunfire; Berger was grazed on the head by counter-sniper fire.
    • After shooting and throwing furniture over the balcony, Berger surrendered when SWAT breached his apartment door.
    • Berger is in custody facing multiple charges, including aggravated assault on law enforcement officers, and was denied bond. He was found with Nazi paraphernalia, yet his medical license was still active.

ATLANTA - Arrest warrants have revealed new details about the Oct. 29 standoff in Midtown Atlanta. Investigators say a 70-year-old man allegedly barricaded himself inside his apartment at the Four Seasons, prompting a significant police response and causing disruptions in the area. 

According to the warrants, Jay Berger, an ophthalmologist who has held an active medical license since 1984, fired shots in multiple directions, leading to a prolonged standoff with police from his residence on the 33rd floor. 

Police believed Berger was experiencing a mental health crisis at the time.

"He’s known for mental episodes, and we just need you here pronto," a building staff member told the 911 operator.

Arrest affidavits state Berger initially brandished a firearm at a building manager prior to barricading himself. 

"A neighbor said there was a mess in the hallway," the staff member said in the 911 recording. "I went up to check out the mess, and the resident at the end of the hallway was pointing a gun at me, screaming, ‘Do not come this way. I don’t want to hurt anybody.’"

A man holds up his arms from a window during a SWAT standoff at the Four Season in Midtown Atlanta on Oct. 29, 2024.

When the SWAT team arrived on the 33rd floor, water was flooding from Berger's unit. Officers reported he was firing his weapon in multiple directions, both through walls and out his front door, with a fragment of one round striking Officer Johnathan Caporaso, who had a minor injury.

The warrant describes how Berger took to his balcony and began shooting.

At that point, a counter-sniper positioned in a neighboring building fired, grazing Berger in the head. Following this, Berger reportedly set down his weapon and began throwing furniture over the balcony. That prompted APD’s drone operator to signal the SWAT team in the hallway to breach the apartment door.

Berger then surrendered without further resistance, effectively ending the standoff.

In the course of their investigation, authorities noted in court documents that Berger was known to possess firearms and other weapons, along with lots of Nazi paraphernalia.

Midtown Four Seasons shooter arrest warrants

FOX 5 Atlanta obtained copies of the new arrest warrants that suggest the accused Midtown Four Seasons Hotel shooter, Jay Berger, was in the middle of a mental health crisis.

His medical license remained active on the state database as of Tuesday night.

Berger now faces multiple charges of aggravated assault on law enforcement officers, among other allegations. 

A judge denied bond for Berger last week, keeping him in custody as the case moves forward.

The Source: FOX 5 Atlanta used court and police documents, along with previous original reports, to create this article.