# This just in: A gunman is atop a crane in Atlanta **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 21, 2001, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-just-in-a-gunman-is-atop-a-crane-in-atlanta/69623 "2001-06-21T14:43:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2001, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-just-in-a-gunman-is-atop-a-crane-in-atlanta/69623/1 "2001-06-21T14:43:37Z")
In the Buckhead neighborhood, specifically. At at construction site across from the infamous Gold Club, more specifically. Actually it’s not known for sure that he has a gun, but he claims to. He climbed the crane at about 6:45 this morning. Police negotiators are trying to talk him down. He hasn’t hurt anyone or (apparently) made any demands yet. ---
**Author:** ![thinksnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thinksnow/32/2849_2.png) [@thinksnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thinksnow)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2001, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-just-in-a-gunman-is-atop-a-crane-in-atlanta/69623/2 "2001-06-21T14:48:18Z")
This is why I don’t watch the news anymore, I get all the info I need right here! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![tiny\_ham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@tiny\_ham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiny_ham)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2001, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-just-in-a-gunman-is-atop-a-crane-in-atlanta/69623/3 "2001-06-21T15:15:51Z")
How are you posting from up there? :d&r: ---
**Author:** ![Jester](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jester/32/8223_2.png) [@Jester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jester)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2001, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-just-in-a-gunman-is-atop-a-crane-in-atlanta/69623/4 "2001-06-21T15:16:08Z")
I second **thinksnow**. Man, it’s weird. You’d think that interning at a newspaper would mean that I’d have heard something about this… ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2001, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-just-in-a-gunman-is-atop-a-crane-in-atlanta/69623/5 "2001-06-21T18:26:20Z")
Update: The man does not have a gun or other weapon. He’s 23-year-old Michael D. Kelly, which for some reason sounds awfully familiar to me. Does anyone here know that name? He has a history of mental illness. It’s only being covered (that I can find, at least) by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s website. I can’t believe [cnn.com](http://cnn.com) hasn’t picked it up. ---
**Author:** ![katiekilldare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/838e76/32.png) [@katiekilldare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/katiekilldare)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2001, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-just-in-a-gunman-is-atop-a-crane-in-atlanta/69623/6 "2001-06-21T18:56:29Z")
Michael D. Kelly is very close to David R. Kelly, creator of Ally McBeal & The Practice and husband of Michelle Pfieffer. Could that be it? ---
**Author:** ![SanibelMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@SanibelMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanibelMan)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2001, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-just-in-a-gunman-is-atop-a-crane-in-atlanta/69623/7 "2001-06-21T19:11:36Z")
Headline News ran some odd blurb at the bottom of the screen about a guy in a crane watching the strip club next door, but like all their other little news blurbs it made no sense… what’s the point of that, anyway? ---
**Author:** ![Strainger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/strainger/32/244_2.png) [@Strainger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strainger)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2001, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-just-in-a-gunman-is-atop-a-crane-in-atlanta/69623/8 "2001-06-21T19:54:13Z")
Across the street from the Gold Club? So, that means he’s on the north side of Piedmont Rd. near Lindbergh, right? Or is he on the east side of Lindbergh south of Piedmont? Um, I’ve seen it on a map before. Yeah, that’s it. ---
**Author:** ![mouthbreather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2001, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-just-in-a-gunman-is-atop-a-crane-in-atlanta/69623/9 "2001-06-21T20:03:53Z")
The man claimed that he works for the FBI and is keeping an eye on the Gold Club. If he doesn’t have a gun, I don’t understand what they’re waiting for to get him down. ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2001, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-just-in-a-gunman-is-atop-a-crane-in-atlanta/69623/10 "2001-06-21T20:16:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Strainger \* > \*\*Across the street from the Gold Club? So, that means he’s on the north side of Piedmont Rd. near Lindbergh, right? Or is he on the east side of Lindbergh south of Piedmont? > \*\* He’s over near the Lindbergh Marta station. The news is going nuts-I just got home and they were all on “special alerts” because there was new information coming out. If anyone really wants more information, then [ajc.com](http://www.ajc.com) is an always delightful and amusing source of information. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2001, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-just-in-a-gunman-is-atop-a-crane-in-atlanta/69623/11 "2001-06-21T20:39:37Z")
**mouthbreather** , my guess would be they don’t want to spook him into jumping. That’s why they can’t bring him down. But if they decide to go in, apparently there’s a “hero firefighter” standing by. Remember the fellow who plucked a trapped crane operator out of the Cabbagetown blaze last year? He’s on the scene. Mentally, I’m already picturing Kyle Chandler in the made-for-TV movie… ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2001, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-just-in-a-gunman-is-atop-a-crane-in-atlanta/69623/12 "2001-06-21T20:42:30Z")
Bet he has a great view down the stippers tops. ---
**Author:** ![mouthbreather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2001, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-just-in-a-gunman-is-atop-a-crane-in-atlanta/69623/13 "2001-06-21T21:12:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fiver \* > **mouthbreather, my guess would be they don’t want to spook him into jumping. That’s why they can’t bring him down.** I’m just going to zip my lip here. No point in getting this thread moved to the pit. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2001, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-just-in-a-gunman-is-atop-a-crane-in-atlanta/69623/14 "2001-06-21T23:18:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Omniscient \* > \*\*Bet he has a great view down the stippers tops. \*\* Bet he can get a better view of the strippers _inside_ the club. Without tops. ---
**Author:** ![Strainger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/strainger/32/244_2.png) [@Strainger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strainger)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2001, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-just-in-a-gunman-is-atop-a-crane-in-atlanta/69623/15 "2001-06-22T00:18:36Z")
**Biggirl** , maybe he doesn’t have the $7\* to get in. [sub]\* 1991 cover charge. It’s probably gone up since then.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Booker57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Booker57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Booker57)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2001, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-just-in-a-gunman-is-atop-a-crane-in-atlanta/69623/16 "2001-06-22T00:55:01Z")
Tell him he has thirty minutes to get down or the police snipers will take him out. Damn if I’m not getting cynical in my old age. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2001, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-just-in-a-gunman-is-atop-a-crane-in-atlanta/69623/17 "2001-06-22T05:23:13Z")
Bumping 'cause I want to hear how this plays out, and I can’t find anything about it on the web. ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2001, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-just-in-a-gunman-is-atop-a-crane-in-atlanta/69623/18 "2001-06-22T05:25:12Z")
**mouthbreather** : > [@](#): > > **mouthbreather** , my guess would be they don’t want to spook him into jumping. That’s why they can’t bring him down.\*\* I’m just going to zip my lip here. No point in getting this thread moved to the pit. [/QUOTE] At the risk of making this thread Pit-worthy, I hope you’re not suggesting the cops should not care whether they spook him into jumping. Yes, he’s costing others money, convenience and heartache. But he’s clearly _ill_. Sick in the head. Do you really think money, convenience and heartache are worth a sick man’s life? ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2001, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-just-in-a-gunman-is-atop-a-crane-in-atlanta/69623/19 "2001-06-22T09:29:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Rilchiam \* > \*\*Bumping 'cause I want to hear how this plays out, and I can’t find anything about it on the web. \*\* [http://www.accessatlanta.com/partners/ajc/newsatlanta/crane/0622main.html](http://www.accessatlanta.com/partners/ajc/newsatlanta/crane/0622main.html) There’s the link to the ajc article. I had to check it this morning, because it wasn’t the first thing on the news when I woke up. He hung himself from the crane about 3 this morning. ---
**Author:** ![Montfort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Montfort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Montfort)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2001, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-just-in-a-gunman-is-atop-a-crane-in-atlanta/69623/20 "2001-06-22T14:04:07Z")
Paintings are hung on a wall. Suicides and executioned prisoners are hanged. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-just-in-a-gunman-is-atop-a-crane-in-atlanta/69623.md?page=2)