Atlanta Shooting Suspect Still At Large After Midtown Attack

At least one woman was killed and at least four others were wounded in a shooting at an Atlanta medical building, authorities said. No suspects were in custody, but police identified him on Twitter as Deion Patterson, 24, and were looking for him Wednesday afternoon.

The suspect was described in an alert sent to cell phones as a black male wearing a gray hoodie, black pants and brown shoes. Anyone with information on the suspect’s whereabouts was urged to call 911.

The five women were shot around noon Wednesday in an upper-floor waiting room at Northside Hospital, Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum told reporters during a news conference. . He said it was too early to tell if the victims were targeted, and it was not immediately clear if the victims were patients or hospital employees.

Patterson apparently became agitated while waiting for an appointment, a law enforcement source told CBS News’ Pat Milton. He then pulled out a gun and started shooting, hitting all five women.

In a tweetNorthside Hospital said it is “cooperating with law enforcement” after a shooting at its Midtown location.

A 39-year-old woman died at the scene of the shooting and four other women were taken to a hospital for treatment, Schierbaum told reporters. Three patients were in critical condition and one was in stable condition, according to Grady Memorial Hospital.

The injured women ranged in age from 25 to 71, Schierbaum said.

The suspect was spotted by a license plate scanner camera around 12:30 pm north of Midtown, in the area around Interstate-75 and Interstate-285, in a parking garage near The Battery and near Truist Park, Cobb County Public Information Office. Sgt. Wayne Delk said during an early evening news conference.

The suspect is believed to have stolen a vehicle to flee the scene while authorities responded to the shooting, Schierbaum said. Authorities believe they have recovered the vehicle, the police chief said.

“Everybody feels that he’s still armed and that he’s a danger to whatever community he’s in at this time,” Schierbaum said. Investigators have not recovered any weapons, he said.

The suspect’s family has been cooperating with authorities, Schierbaum said.

The chief described the suspect’s prior contact with the Atlanta Police Department as “minimal.” A U.S. Coast Guard spokesman said the suspect joined the Coast Guard in July 2018 and was discharged in January 2023, CBS News’ Nicole Sganga reports.

Shortly after 12:30 p.m., police said were responding to an “active shooter situation” in the area and urged people to shelter in place. Shortly after 3 p.m., said the police the shelter order was lifted on the spot.

BOLO – Deion Patterson – As of 2:46 PM still at large. pic.twitter.com/NAnOr6t0Gu

— Atlanta Police Department (@Atlanta_Police) May 3, 2023

Authorities searched all floors of the medical building for possible additional victims, Schierbaum said.

Police released several images of the suspect on social media, saying the suspect was “believed to be armed and dangerous and should not be approached.”

A woman who lives in Midtown told CBS affiliate WANF-TV it was a “very sad day.”

“I’m not going to live in fear because I love this community,” the woman said. “I’m saddened that this happened in Atlanta and that it’s happening all over the world.”