Violent Repeat Offender Faces Federal Firearms Charge after Alleged Shooting at Atlanta Homeless Encampment

ATLANTA - Alexander Wood, a multi-convicted felon, faces a federal charge of illegal possession of a firearm after he allegedly shot at a homeless encampment in downtown Atlanta and was prosecuted by local authorities for related offenses.

"After more than 20 years of racking up felony convictions in state court, Wood allegedly armed himself and shot at a homeless encampment, jeopardizing innocent lives with an unlawfully possessed firearm," said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. "Unrepentant and undeterred violent criminals who possess firearms despite repeated state-court convictions will be held accountable in federal court, where there is no opportunity for parole."

"Multiple convictions at the state level have not deterred Alexander Wood from continuing his alleged life of crime," said Marlo Graham, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. "The FBI will continue to find and arrest dangerous criminals who repeatedly are a danger to society."

"The Atlanta Police Department remains committed to protecting all members of our community from acts of violence and gun crime," said Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum. "Our officers responded quickly and worked closely with our federal partners to ensure this incident was thoroughly investigated. We remain committed to protecting all who call Atlanta home and to strengthening the trust and collaboration we share with the communities we serve."

According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: On October 10, 2025, Alexander Wood allegedly drove to a homeless encampment in downtown Atlanta and discharged a firearm at the encampment. After an Atlanta Police Department officer responded to the scene, Wood fled in a high-speed chase and allegedly tried to run into the police car pursuing him.

Officers arrested Wood at an apartment shortly thereafter. Under bushes near the apartment entrance, officers located a Smith & Wesson handgun. Surveillance footage allegedly showed that, moments before officers arrived, Wood ran through the area where the police found the gun.

On June 25, 2026, Alexander Wood, 43, of Atlanta, Georgia, appeared in federal court and pled not guilty to possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, after a grand jury returned an indictment charging him with that crime on April 14, 2026. Wood has multiple prior felony convictions for violent crimes and drug trafficking, such as burglary, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and armed robbery. Based on that criminal history, Wood faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years of imprisonment and could be sentenced to imprisonment for life.

In April 2026, Wood pled guilty in the Superior Court of Fulton County to fleeing from the police and several misdemeanors arising from the October 2025 shooting and was sentenced to just one year of imprisonment with credit for time served. As a result of the federal indictment, Wood is currently in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service and is being held without bail.

Members of the public are reminded that the defendant is presumed innocent of the charges contained in the federal indictment, 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 Atlanta Police Department.

Assistant United States Attorney Sara Lim is prosecuting the case.

This case is 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.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

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.