A 42-year-old Lithia Springs resident was charged on Monday with three federal crimes after allegedly shooting a 17-year-old passenger on a MARTA train at the Midtown Station last Friday.
It was the latest in a string of violent MARTA incidents as the city prepares to host the World Cup.
Authorities say that Anthony Gresham boarded a train at the station alongside the teenage victim, later identified in a GoFundMe campaign as J’Von Easterling.
Shortly after stepping onto the train, Gresham allegedly pulled a handgun from his bag and fired three times in Easterling’s direction before fleeing from the station.
The victim sustained gunshot wounds to his left hand and left leg and was transported to Grady Memorial Hospital. Gresham was later apprehended by FBI agents and Douglas County law enforcement officers two days later.
“My office and federal law enforcement will continue to lean in and partner with local agencies to hold criminals accountable for violent attacks on MARTA, a critical component of Atlanta’s transportation infrastructure that is subsidized by federal funds,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg in a Tuesday press release.
Authorities say Gresham has a history of lengthy criminal activity, including felony convictions in at least three different counties for armed robbery, aggravated assault, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, burglary, theft and robbery by force.
Gresham was charged on Monday with committing an act of violence with intent to cause serious bodily injury on a mass transportation system, possession of ammunition by a convicted felon and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
“The riders who depend on MARTA, and the officers who work to protect them, deserve to see violent offenders held accountable,” added MARTA Police Chief M. Scott Kreher in the release. “I support and appreciate U.S. Attorney Hertzberg for his leadership in this area and for the continued partnership with the FBI AMMO task force as we work together to keep our communities safe.”
Gresham is scheduled to appear in federal court to answer those charges at a later date.
The GoFundMe campaign for Easterling, a rising senior at KIPP Atlanta, has raised over $35,000 as of Wednesday.
Violent incidents lead to federal investigation of MARTA
Gresham’s detainment comes one week after federal charges were filed against Decatur resident John Elijah Matthews for his role in a May 30 attack at the Oakland City Station.
According to authorities, 66-year-old Margaret Swan was on a MARTA train traveling northbound from the Lakewood station to the Oakland City station when she encountered Matthews.
Video surveillance allegedly showed Matthews standing next to Swan by the train’s doors while the latter looked at her phone. At approximately 11:25 a.m., Matthews then reached into his pocket, pulled out a folding knife and proceeded to stab Swan approximately 20 times in the chest and neck area.
The incident led U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy to instruct the Federal Transit Administration to investigate MARTA, including the transit agency’s security spending, safety protocols and risks to riders and workers.
