ATLANTA — A convicted felon accused of shooting a 17-year-old boy aboard a MARTA train at Midtown station now faces federal charges, prosecutors said.
Anthony Gresham, 42, of Lithia Springs, was charged by criminal complaint June 8 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.
Federal prosecutors said the shooting happened on June 5 after the teen boarded a MARTA train that stopped at Midtown station. Gresham allegedly entered the train car where the boy was seated, pulled a handgun from a bag and fired three times in his direction.
The teen suffered gunshot wounds to his left hand and left leg and was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital. Investigators later recovered spent shell casings from the scene.
Gresham fled the station after the shooting, prosecutors said. He was arrested two days later in Douglas County by FBI agents and local law enforcement officers after a multi-agency search.
Prosecutors said Gresham’s criminal history bars him from legally possessing firearms or ammunition. His prior felony convictions include armed robbery, aggravated assault, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, burglary, theft and robbery by force in at least three counties.
The case is being investigated by the FBI and the 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 Gresham’s arrest.
Gresham is the second person charged within a week with a federal crime tied to a violent attack on MARTA trains. On June 2, federal prosecutors charged John Elijah Matthews, 25, of Decatur, with committing an act of violence using a dangerous weapon with intent to cause death on a mass transportation system. If convicted, Matthews could face life in prison or the death penalty.
Federal officials said the cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a Department of Justice initiative focused on violent crime, illegal immigration, cartels and transnational criminal organizations.
The complaint contains only allegations. Gresham is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
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