Convicted Felon Faces Federal Charges Following Shooting on Atlanta's MARTA Rail System (DOJ)

ATLANTA - Anthony Gresham, a multi-convicted felon, has been charged with three federal crimes after he allegedly shot a 17-year-old boy aboard a Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) train last Friday.

"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. "Gresham was allegedly undeterred by decades of prosecution for robberies, drug trafficking, and other crimes, which compounds the need for federal intervention in this case."

"Violence will not be tolerated on Marta," said Marlo Graham, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. "The citizens of Metro Atlanta and our visitors deserve a safe and secure transportation system. This is a great example of the collaborative work of law enforcement to protect everyone's right to safety."

"The riders who depend on MARTA, and the officers who work to protect them, deserve to see violent offenders held accountable," said Chief M. Scott Kreher of the MARTA Police Department. "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."

According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information released previously: On June 5, 2026, a 17-year-old boy boarded a MARTA train stopped at the Midtown station in Atlanta. Anthony Gresham allegedly walked into the train car where the boy was seated, produced a handgun from his bag, and fired three times in the boy's direction. The boy sustained gunshot wounds to his left hand and left leg and was transported to Grady Memorial Hospital. Later, law enforcement recovered spent shell casings from the scene of the shooting. Gresham allegedly fled from the train station but was apprehended two days later by FBI agents and local law enforcement officers in Douglas County.

Gresham allegedly has a lengthy criminal history that disqualifies him from being able to legally possess firearms or ammunition. That criminal history includes 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.

On June 8, 2026, Anthony Gresham, 42, of Lithia Springs, Ga., was charged by criminal complaint 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. Gresham will appear in federal court to answer those charges at a later date.

Members of the public are reminded that the complaint only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government's burden to prove the defendant's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and MARTA Police Department with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The Douglas County Sheriff's Office, Douglasville Police Department, Haralson County Sheriff's Office, and Georgia Department of Public Safety assisted with the defendant's apprehension.

Gresham is the second defendant charged within the past week with a federal crime related to violent attacks on MARTA trains. On June 2, 2026, John Elijah Matthews, 25, of Decatur, Ga., was named in a federal complaint charging him with committing an act of violence using a dangerous weapon with the intent to cause death on a mass transportation system. If convicted, Matthews faces the possibility of life imprisonment or the death penalty.

These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney's Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.