Police Arrest Atlanta Gunman Who Killed 1 Woman, Wounded 4 Others

Atlanta, GA – Authorities arrested the gunman who opened fire on a group of women in a medical center in Atlanta on Wednesday afternoon after police used technology to track him down in nearby Cobb County.

The Atlanta Police Department (APD) and the Cobb County Police Department (CCPD) held a joint press conference late on Wednesday that detailed the arrest of 24-year-old Deion Patterson, WAGA reported. The incident began at about 12:30 p.m. on May 3 at the Northside Hospital Midtown medical building located in the 1100-block of West Peachtree Street NW in midtown Atlanta, The Washington Post reported.

Police said surveillance videos from the entrances and inside the building showed that the suspect committed his rampage and left the building within two minutes.

Five women were shot, WAGA reported.

One of them was pronounced dead at the scene and four others – ranging in age from 25 to 71 – were transported to the hospital for treatment of gunshot wounds.

Police said their medical conditions ranged from critical to stable, WAGA reported.

Authorities were able to identify Patterson using the hospital’s security videos.

Suspect Name – DEION PATTERSON
DOB: 10/98

Call 911 –DO NOT approach him
He is considered Armed and Dangerous https://t.co/9ZonHDFPva

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

Atlanta Deputy Chief Charles Hampton said that Patterson was at Northside Hospital for an appointment when he opened fire, but he wouldn’t say whether the gunman was dealing with mental health issues.

Atlanta Chief of Police Darin Schierbaum said Patterson’s mother was with him in the 11th floor waiting room at Northside Hospital when he opened fire, WAGA reported.

Chief Schierbaum said the mother wasn’t hurt and Patterson’s family was cooperating with law enforcement.

Minyone Patterson blamed her son’s shooting spree on a bad prescription, the New York Post reported.

“The damn VA gave him some messed up medication, and all he wanted was an Ativan,” Minyone said.

Police said the suspect left the hospital on foot and then hijacked a vehicle that had been left running at a nearby gas station, WAGA reported.

Authorities were able to find the stolen vehicle using traffic cameras and determined that Patterson was likely in Cobb County.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Secret Service (USSS), Georgia Tech police, Cobb County Police, Atlanta Public Schools police and others assisted the Atlanta police in their search for the killer, WAGA reported.

Cobb County Police Chief Stuart VanHoozer said an operator in Cobb County’s Real Time Crime Center received a 911 call they suspected was the gunman.

Officials were able to track the caller to a specific location, WAGA reported.

An undercover police officer found and made contact with Patterson at the Waterford Place condo complex near Truist Park.

Then uniformed officers closed in and made the arrest, WAGA reported.

Police said the suspect was apprehended without incident.

After an eight-hour manhunt that sprawled into metro Atlanta Wednesday, the accused gunman in Midtown’s deadly shooting was arrested about 10 miles away in Cobb County.

Deion Patterson, 24, faces a murder charge and four counts of aggravated assault in the attack that left one… pic.twitter.com/ZGCCDuIqm8

— Atlanta Journal-Constitution (@ajc) May 4, 2023

Patterson was still wearing the same clothing that he had on when he opened fire in the hospital, WAGA reported.

Police said a handgun was recovered at the scene of Patterson’s arrest.

Patterson joined the U.S. Coast Guard in 2018 but was discharged from active duty in January after having served as an Electrician’s Mate second class, the New York Post reported.

ONE DEAD, FOUR INJURED IN MIDTOWN ATLANTA MASS SHOOTING. Deion Patterson, 24, was taken into custody after he opened fire inside the 11th floor waiting room of Northside Medical Midtown just after 12 p.m. yesterday. He is now facing four counts of aggravated assault and is… pic.twitter.com/vdSOAgJAST

— Southern Man (@MagicBelle1) May 4, 2023

Patterson was charged with four counts of aggravated assault and one count of murder, WAGA reported.

He was booked into the Fulton County Rice Street Jail and held in the facility’s medical observation unit.

Patterson was scheduled to be arraigned on Thursday morning, WAGA reported.