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A man accused of killing one woman and injuring four others at a hospital in Atlanta on Wednesday, May 3, has been arrested following an hours-long manhunt, police said.
Deion Patterson, 24, was taken into custody at a condominium complex in nearby Cobb County without incident, officials said at a Wednesday night news conference announcing his arrest.
Around midday, Patterson went inside the Northside Hospital medical facility and began shooting, police said. The suspect had become agitated while waiting for an appointment when he pulled out a handgun and opened fire, a law enforcement source said.
After leaving the building, located in Atlanta’s Midtown neighborhood, the suspect allegedly stole an unattended truck at a nearby gas station and drove north to Cobb County. Atlanta police said they received an alert that the vehicle’s license plate was spotted on license plate-reading cameras near a facility close to the Atlanta Braves’ ballpark.
After fielding multiple calls from the public regarding possible sightings of the suspect, an operator flagged to a 911 dispatcher that one of the sightings appeared legitimate, Cobb County Police Chief Stuart VanHoozer said during Wednesday night’s briefing.
An undercover officer, who later spotted and confronted the suspect, called for backup and the arrest was made without incident after eight hours of searching for him, VanHoozer said.
He allegedly shot and killed a 39-year-old woman and injured four other women. The injured victims were taken to Grady Memorial Hospital where three were in critical condition and the fourth in stable condition as of Wednesday evening.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identified the deceased woman as Amy St. Pierre, an employee of theirs. “CDC is deeply saddened by the unexpected loss of a colleague killed today in the Midtown Atlanta shooting,” a CDC spokesperson told CBS News. “Our hearts are with her family, friends, and colleagues as they remember her and grieve this tragic loss.”
The injured women ranged in age between 25 and 71 years old, Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said earlier Wednesday.
The suspect’s family has been cooperating with authorities, Schierbaum said, and officials on Wednesday evening confirmed the family’s help.
In an interview with CBS affiliate WANF, the suspect’s mother gave condolences to the victims and said her son suffered from mental illness.
“He doesn’t know,” said Minyone Patterson. “He doesn’t know right now. Please. This mental illness is real, and when we say it’s real, from the medical standpoint, it is real. And when someone is saying they need help, or you see that they are acting out of sorts, they need help. Help them, just don’t disregard them. They need help, and as I’m trying to advocate for my son, he was turned away.”
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