ATLANTA – Atlanta police launched a massive manhunt Thursday after a woman was killed and another person was injured in a series of random attacks spanning from a local post office to the Atlanta Beltline.
What we know:
Officials confirmed to FOX 5 that the stabbing happened near the 1700 block of Flagler Avenue NE on Thursday afternoon.
Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said the department was alerted around 12:10 p.m. that a woman had been stabbed just north of Montgomery Ferry Drive overpass.
The woman was rushed to Grady Memorial Hospital where she died.
Investigators believe the same man also attacked a second person on the trail who survived.
Authorities said the man attacked a U.S. Postal Service employee with a rock at the Plasters Avenue NE post office before the stabbings.
Schierbaum said that suspect then traveled on a bicycle to where the fatal stabbing occurred.
The chief added he believes the attacks were random and that the suspect may have been experiencing a mental health crisis.
Police are scouring the city searching for the person pictured below.
Atlanta Police release this image of a man believed to be responsible for the deadly stabbing of a woman along the Beltline near Flagler Avenue NE on May 14, 2026. (APD)
SKYFOX 5 flew over the scene and saw several officers investigating an area on the Beltline trail located directly behind Flagler Avenue.
Beltline stabbing victim dies, police say
What began as a stabbing investigation on the Northeast Beltline Trail has now turned into a homicide probe. Authorities have confirmed that the victim discovered near the Ansley Golf Club earlier, Thursday, May 14, 2026, has been pronounced dead. The investigation continues to center on the section of the trail behind Flagler Avenue, south of I-85. Portions of the popular pedestrian path remain behind crime scene tape as forensic units process the area.
What we don’t know:
While police have released surveillance images of a man on an orange bicycle, his current location and identity remain unknown. Authorities have not yet confirmed what triggered the attacks, though they are looking into whether the suspect was suffering from a mental health crisis during the spree.
K9 officers searching area around Flagler Avenue (Credit: FOX 5)
What you can do:
Schierbaum called on all Atlantans to help police capture the person responsible for these attacks.
“The message is the same for everyone. Whether you live in this neighborhood or you live in any neighbor of the city, be alert. Take the photograph of the
individual. He could have traveled some distance by now, or you could still be in the area. And so I think everyone being alert, knowing what this individual looks like, calling 911 right away, checking your ring cameras is what this department needs right now to bring this person into custody,” Schierbaum said.
The Source: Information in this article came from the Atlanta Police Department and SKYFOX 5 field reports. It has been updated with information from FOX 5’s Eric Perry who was at the scene. Additional information comes from a live press conference held by the Atlanta Police Department.
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