Police said the same suspect may have attacked a postal worker before the fatal trail stabbing.
ATLANTA, GA — A 23-year-old woman died after she was stabbed Thursday afternoon on the Atlanta Beltline, and police arrested a 21-year-old man within hours after a large search across northeast Atlanta, officials said.
The Fulton County Medical Examiner identified the woman as Alyssa Paige. Atlanta police identified the suspect as Jahmare Brown. Police said Brown faces charges including murder, aggravated assault, aggravated battery and possession of a knife during the commission of a felony. The killing shook a public trail system used daily by walkers, runners and cyclists and prompted city officials to defend safety plans for one of Atlanta’s best-known public spaces.
Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said officers were called at about 12:10 p.m. Thursday after a woman was stabbed just north of the Montgomery Ferry Drive overpass, near the 1700 block of Flagler Avenue NE. Emergency crews took Paige to Grady Memorial Hospital, where she died. Police soon released images of a man they said was tied to the attack and warned the public that he was believed to be armed. “We believe he picked his victims at random,” Schierbaum said during a news conference after the arrest. Officers searched the trail, nearby streets and surrounding neighborhoods before locating Brown later Thursday.
Police said the attack on Paige was not the first violent encounter tied to the suspect that day. Investigators said Brown may have attacked a U.S. Postal Service worker with a rock at a post office on Plasters Avenue NE before riding a bicycle south toward the Beltline. The postal worker survived and was treated for injuries that were not considered life-threatening. Witnesses described a sudden assault outside the post office. Postal worker Nykiria Reedy said she saw the attacker hit her co-worker in the head and continue striking her after she fell. Police said they were still reviewing the order of events, the suspect’s movements and whether any other people were threatened or hurt before the arrest.
Schierbaum said investigators believe Brown left the postal facility on a bicycle and later reached the Beltline, where Paige was stabbed. Officers used images, witness accounts and the bicycle description during the search. The chief said officers spotted the bicycle, looked more closely at the rider and recognized him as the person being sought. “They moved in quickly, they took him into custody without incident,” Schierbaum said. Authorities did not announce a confirmed motive. Schierbaum said the attacks appeared random and said investigators were looking at whether Brown was in a mental health crisis. Police did not release a detailed account of any statement Brown may have made after his arrest.
The stabbing happened on a stretch of the Beltline that runs through a dense part of northeast Atlanta, near homes, offices and busy road crossings. The Beltline is a 22-mile corridor of trails, parks and future transit designed to link 45 neighborhoods around the city. It has become a major public gathering space and a driver of development. A recent economic analysis said the Beltline has drawn billions of dollars in private investment and helped create tens of thousands of jobs. The killing brought a sharp contrast to the image of the trail as a place for daily errands, exercise and neighborhood movement. Residents near the scene said violent crime on that part of the trail is rare.
Mayor Andre Dickens appeared with police after Brown was captured and said the attack would cause fear but should not define the trail. “Our hearts go out to the family of the young lady that lost her life,” Dickens said. He said Atlanta police bike patrols already work the Beltline and would remain visible. City officials did not announce a major change in patrol policy Thursday night, but they said officers would continue to monitor the corridor. Police also asked anyone with information about the attack, Brown’s movements or possible additional witnesses to speak with investigators. The department said detectives were still building the full timeline from the post office attack to the fatal stabbing and arrest.
Court and jail records cited by local outlets show Brown had prior arrests before Thursday’s case, including arrests in 2025 and early 2026. Those earlier cases included charges such as disorderly conduct, giving false information to law enforcement, loitering and obstruction, along with a separate battery charge. Police did not say whether any past case was connected to Thursday’s attacks. Brown was booked in Fulton County after his arrest. The case is expected to move through the county court system as prosecutors review the police file, medical findings and witness statements. No first court appearance or bond ruling had been publicly detailed by officials as of Friday.
People who live and work near the Beltline described the killing as jarring because it happened in daylight and near a heavily traveled section of trail. Debbie Evans, who lives nearby, said the attack happened about a block from her home and was unlike the usual activity in the area. “It’s so rare that anything happens,” Evans said. “We feel so safe here.” Other residents said the scene changed quickly after police arrived, with officers blocking parts of the trail and searching for the suspect as images spread online. The arrest later Thursday brought relief to some neighbors, though many said the death of Paige would leave a lasting mark on the community.
Police said Brown remained in custody Friday as homicide detectives continued to examine evidence from the Beltline, the post office area and the route between them. The next public milestone is expected in Fulton County court, where formal proceedings will address the charges filed after Paige’s death.
Author note: Last updated May 15, 2026.