One Dead After Gunman Hijacks Atlanta Bus, Leads Police On Chase

A crook hijacked a city bus in Atlanta, holding the driver at gunpoint and taking passengers hostage before leading cops on a high-speed pursuit across the city ... ending in a death.

Aerial footage shows law enforcement pursuing the bus through Atlanta Tuesday ... the bus speeds through city streets, weaves through traffic and smashes through civilian cars and cop cars during a chase that played out over miles and miles of road.

When police finally stopped the bus, passengers ran for safety ... and the suspect was hauled off in handcuffs. SWAT officers cleared the bus and found a passenger suffering from a gunshot wound. They were rushed to a hospital in critical condition and ended up dying.

The whole thing started during rush hour in downtown Atlanta, when cops got a 911 call about a hostage situation and possible gunfire aboard a bus. Police say they responded to the scene and the bus took off, leading to a pursuit -- which was documented by helicopters.

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens says the suspect was holding the bus driver at gunpoint during the hijacking ... and cops say some of the 17 folks aboard made 911 calls during the pursuit, talking to police as the chase played out.

As you can see in the video, police tried different tactics to stop the bus ... including spike strips, which seemed to help flatten tires and slow the bus.

Police say it's unclear when the fatal shooting occurred -- an investigation is ongoing -- and the suspect is reportedly a convicted felon. No word on a motive for his alleged actions.