Atlanta mass shooting suspect arrested; woman killed ID'd as CDC employee, 4 others injured
Suspect Deion Patterson arrested in Cobb County, police say
ATLANTA -- The suspect in an Atlanta mass shooting that left one person dead and four injured at a Midtown Atlanta medical center on Wednesday, has been apprehended police said.
Just before 8 p.m. ET, police said 24-year-old Deion Patterson had been taken into custody.
Atlanta police said the shooting happened inside a waiting room at Laureate Medical Center on West Peachtree Street, between 12th and 13th Streets just after noon.
Of the four people who were shot and injured, three are in critical condition and one is in the emergency department, according to hospital officials. All four, who are 71, 56, 39 and 25, are women, officials said.
A 39-year-old woman was killed. The Centers for Disease Control, which is headquartered in Atlanta, identified her as one of their employees, Amy St. Pierre.
The CDC released a statement, saying, "CDC is deeply saddened by the unexpected loss of a colleague killed today in the Midtown Atlanta shooting. Our hearts are with her family, friends, and colleagues as they remember her and grieve this tragic loss."
Police said Patterson used a handgun in the shooting, and had an appointment to be at the facility at the time. They did not comment on any possible motive for the shooting.
Police searched for Patterson for eight hours following the shooting. Atlanta police said using video from the hospital and nearby businesses, they tracked Patterson to a nearby Shell gas station where they said he stole a pickup truck that had been left running and unattended.
WATCH: Officials give update after suspect's arrest
Police put the truck's tag number into their license plate reading system and, after some time, determined Patterson had fled out of the city and into Cobb County.
They coordinated with Cobb County law enforcement, who received a number of tips throughout the afternoon and evening. The tip that finally led to the suspect came from a 911 call. Both uniformed and undercover officers responded to the tip, where they located Patterson and were able to take him into custody without further incident.
No further details have been released. Police said Patterson's family has been cooperative and helpful in the investigation.
Dr. Ahmed Ali, a radiation oncologist at the building, told ABC Atlanta affiliate WSB that he was returning from his lunch break when he saw armed officers swam the scene.
"I was worried what was happening," he said. "Building security ... they told me gunshots were coming from the 11th floor. They said there was a pool of blood in the elevator shafts when the doors opened."
Anyone in the area is urged to shelter in place.
The shooting comes as cities around the U.S. have been wracked by gun violence and mass shootings in 2023.
The White House is aware of the incident.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
