Atlanta
CNN
—
[Breaking news update, published at 6:25 p.m. ET]
Deion Patterson was discovered in the Cobb County area of northwest Atlanta around 12:30 p.m. after shooting five women in downtown Atlanta 20 minutes earlier, according to police.
[Original story, published at 6:14 p.m. ET]
A massive manhunt is underway in Atlanta for the man who shot five women Wednesday at Northside Hospital Medical, killing one and sending four others to the hospital, then fled in a stolen vehicle, Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said Wednesday.
A 39-year-old woman died, Schierbaum said during a news conference Wednesday afternoon. The injured women are between 25 and 71 years old.
Authorities were called to Midtown Atlanta Medical Center shortly after noon Wednesday, the police chief said. The shooting took place in the facility’s waiting room, he added.
The suspect, whom authorities identified as 24-year-old Deion Patterson, fled the building after opening fire and is believed to have stolen a vehicle nearby, the police chief said.
He is still at large and has active leads in Cobb County and the city of Atlanta, Schierbaum said. Cobb County deputies were searching the Vinings, Cumberland and Truist Park areas, according to a Twitter post publication of the Cobb County Police Department.
“We are working diligently to arrest this person,” the police chief added.
On Wednesday evening, police focused their search for Patterson after the car he was in appeared to have appeared on a license plate reader, according to a source.
Cobb County police believe the suspect may have been near Truist Park, home to the Atlanta Braves, and the Battery, an entertainment complex and apartment buildings next to the field.
The source told CNN Wednesday evening that it is unclear if Patterson is still in the area.
Patterson “entered the Coast Guard in July 2018 and last served as an Electrician’s Mate Second Class,” a Coast Guard statement said Wednesday. “He was discharged from active duty in January 2023.”
The Coast Guard said they are working “closely” with Atlanta police and other authorities in the investigation into the shooting.
“Our deepest condolences go out to the victims and their families,” the statement said.
All four victims were taken to downtown Grady Memorial Hospital, Atlanta’s only Level 1 trauma center.
As of Wednesday evening, one patient remained in surgery, while another had just left the operating room and was recovering, said Dr. Robert Jansen, chief medical officer of Grady Health System.
One of those patients required surgery for a gunshot wound to the abdomen, while the other required surgery for an arm wound, a hospital representative said earlier.
The third patient was taken to the hospital with a gunshot wound to the face and required an interventional radiology procedure, which is used to stop bleeding using catheters inserted directly into blood vessels, the hospital said. The fourth victim is still in the trauma center and likely won’t need surgery, Jansen said.
Police issued a “be on the lookout” for the suspect, saying he should be considered armed and dangerous and should not be approached.
The Atlanta Police Department previously released images showing the suspected shooter wearing a hoodie, asking anyone with information about his whereabouts to call 911.
Follow Live Updates: 1 Dead, Multiple Shots in Midtown Atlanta, Police Say
A senior Atlanta Police Department source told CNN that the suspect and his mother arrived Wednesday for a medical appointment for himself. The man at some point became agitated and started firing a gun. The suspect has a military background, the source said.
Atlanta police spokesman Chata Spikes similarly said the man was attending a medical appointment for himself when the shooting occurred. Police declined to further describe the nature of the appointment, citing HIPAA regulations.
The man’s mother, who was not injured, is currently cooperating with police, Atlanta police told CNN.
Northside Hospital confirmed the shooting at its Midtown location, saying on Twitter that it was cooperating with law enforcement.
“We urge people in the area to shelter in place and follow the instructions of law enforcement at the scene,” the hospital system said. “This tragedy affects us all, and we ask for your patience and prayers at this time.”
In what has become routine in the United States, Wednesday’s shooting disrupted daily life in a place many would consider safe. This time, it was at a doctor’s office, but it’s often been schools, grocery stores and houses of worship across America.
Including the shooting at the Atlanta medical facility, there have been at least 190 mass shootings in the United States this year. according to the Archive of armed violencewhich, like CNN, defines a mass shooting as one in which four or more people are shot, excluding the shooter.
The Atlanta Police Department he tweeted Earlier Wednesday, he was investigating an active shooter incident inside a building on West Peachtree Street between 12th and 13th streets, saying several people were injured.
Videos shared with CNN showed police rushing to the scene as sirens blared. Several fire trucks, at least one armored police vehicle and officers from the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office were seen outside the building, which is in a busy part of the city with Google’s offices, hotels, restaurants, apartment buildings and at least two daycare centers. centers located nearby.
Atlanta resident Annie Eaveson, who lives in the Atlantic House apartments a block away, told CNN her building was on lockdown as the incident unfolded.
“I saw two people being taken out on stretchers. Waves of armored officers entered the interior almost in turns. You can see medical professionals crowded into offices.”
As the search for the gunman continued, construction worker Eddie Mwangi told CNN he was stopped at a nearby parking garage, where officers approached him, asked for identification and drew his weapons.
“I guess they thought it was me because when I saw a picture of the suspect he looked like me,” he said. After the situation was resolved, Mwangi was taken to an adjacent building, where he saw several nurses crying shortly after the shooting unfolded, he said.
“It was really surreal,” he said of the sight. “You never thought you could experience something like this. I mean, you see it on TV all the time, but you never think it’s going to happen to you.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
