Atlanta shooting – live: Suspect arrested after stealing truck and being spotted by undercover officer

Atlanta-area police arrested Deion Patterson, 24, on Wednesday, who is accused of fatally killing one person and wounding another four in a mass shooting at a local hospital.

Police were able to track Mr Patterson after flagging a license plate number from a pickup truck he stole from a Shell garage.

They later used the plate number to track the man via traffic cameras as he headed to Cobb County.

A 911 call from the area alerted police that the man was hiding in a pool area near a condominium complex.

Officers arrest Mr Patterson, a recently discharged Coast Guard veteran, without incident.

Mr Patterson’s mother told The Daily Beast her son was struggling with his mental health.

Key Points

• Atlanta gunman found hiding near pool after barking dogs alerted neighbours, report says

• Deion Patterson: Everything we know about Atlanta mass shooting suspect

• Everything we know about the Atlanta mass shooting that left one dead, four others hospitalised

• Four injured and one dead after shooting in midtown Atlanta hospital

• Nearly 200 mass shootings within first five months of 2023

CDC worker identified as victim killed in medical centre shooting

09:40 , Rachel Sharp

The victim killed in the mass shooting at an Atlanta medical centre has been identified as a CDC worker.

Amy St. Pierre, 38, was killed on Wednesday when a gunman opened fire at Midtown Atlanta’s Northside Hospital.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed that St. Pierre was one of its employees.

Deion Patterson: Everything we know about Atlanta mass shooting suspect

08:52 , Josh Marcus

Police captured a man suspected of killing one person and injuring four more in a mass shooting at an Atlanta hospital on Monday.

Earlier in the day, officials announced that 24-year-old Deion Patterson was the prime suspect. A man matching his description was seen being arrested at a Cobb County condo complex on Wednesday afternoon.

Mr Patterson, who was recently discharged from the Coast Guard, had originally attended a medical appointment at the building on Wednesday at which he was accompanied by his mother, reported CNN.

Here’s everything we know about the recently arrested suspect.

Deion Patterson: Everything we know about the at-large Atlanta mass shooting suspect

Everything we know about the Atlanta mass shooting that left one dead, four others hospitalised

07:52 , Josh Marcus

One person was killed and multiple others were injured in a mass shooting on Wednesday in Midtown Atlanta.

The Atlanta Police Department announced on Wednesday evening a suspect in the shooting had been apprehended.

Here’s everything we know about the shooting in Atlanta:

Everything we know about the Atlanta mass shooting that left one dead

‘I hope the city, the region, rests easy that Patterson is in custody’

07:30 , Namita Singh

Atlanta mayor Andre Dickens was happy Deion Patterson was arrested and taken into custody alive so he can be prosecuted.

“Right now, we’ve had a successful end to a traumatic day,” Mr Dickens said, while also advocating for tougher gun laws and stressing the importance of police training.

“I hope the city, the region, rests easy that he is in custody, but I also hope that we will stay vigilant to continue to look at a future where individuals who shouldn’t have a gun in possession won’t have one, and also that individuals are brought to justice, and also that we deal with these things that are mental health or easy access to guns.”

Atlanta mayor calls for stronger gun laws after hospital shooting

06:52 , Josh Marcus

Atlanta mayor Andre Dickens says Wednesday’s mass shooting a hospital is a sign of America’s gun violence problem.

“This was a horrible act of gun violence,” he said. “Equally horrifying is we know this is not unique in our country. In 2023 alone, there have been nearly 200 reported instances of mass shootings in America.”

The official called for stronger gun laws like red flag provisions to prevent future tragedies.

Alleged gunman was recently discharged from Coast Guard

05:52 , Josh Marcus

Deion Patterson, the man wanted for allegedly shooting multiple people at an Atlanta-area medical facility on Wednesday, was recently discharged from the US Coast Guard.

The military branch said it was working with police to investigate the alleged gunman.

“Our deepest sympathies are with the victims and their families,” the Coast Guard said in a statement to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “The Coast Guard Investigative Service is working closely with the Atlanta Police Department and local authorities in the investigation. Mr. Patterson entered the Coast Guard in July 2018 and last served as an Electrician’s Mate Second Class.”

Police used digital billboards to help capture Atlanta shooting suspect

04:52 , Josh Marcus

Police used digital billboards as part of their search for a man suspected of shooting at least five people at an Atlanta-area hospital on Wednesday.

Atlanta law enforcement announced a suspect had been captured on Wednesday evening.

Local media reports the arrest took place at the Waterford Place Condominiums in Cobb County.

Shooter was reportedly unhappy with VA care

03:52 , Josh Marcus

Deion Patterson, a discharged Coast Guard veteran, was unhappy with the care he was receiving from the Department of Veteran Affairs and was seeking new treatment, his mother informed investigators, an APD source told CNN.

Mr Patterson allegedly killed one woman and wounded four others in a waiting room on the 11th floor of the medical building in midtown Atlanta on Wednesday.

Barking dogs allegedly tipped police off about shooting suspect

02:21 , Josh Marcus

After an hourslong manhunt, barking dogs were what ultimately helped police find the gunman accused of shooting five people at an Atlanta hospital.

Witnesses told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution police were already on their street at a condominiuim complex in Cobb County when a woman named Christy Colwell told officers about a local pool and washhouse deep in the woods.

“I thought that would be a great place for someone to hide out until dark,” Ms Colwell told the paper. “Ten seconds later, (police) came running back to us, told us to get on the grass, and then all of a sudden there were 30 police cars all heading down there.”

Technology played ‘huge role’ in arrest of shooting suspect

02:02 , Josh Marcus

Advanced surveillance technology played a “huge role” in capturing the gunman wanted for shooting five people at an Atlanta hospital on Wednesday.

Officials said a key break in the case came when investigators spotted a license plate number on a vehicle the gunman allegedly stole.

“Those tools are what really got us the clues we needed to make this successful,” Cobb County police chief Stuart VanHoozer said during a press conference on Wednesday.

The police official said officers checked multiple locations including a construction site as they accumulated information about the suspect, believed to be Deion Patterson.

Eventually, Mr VanHoozer said, an undercover officer confronted the suspect, and officers were able to swoop in and arrest him without incident.

APD chief praises ‘capable, confident’ response

01:56 , Josh Marcus

Atlanta police officials are praising police for swiftly capturing an individual wanted for shooting five people at a local hospital.

Atlanta police chief Darin Schierbaum called the investigation a “capable, confident” response.

“In this most dire of cistumstances you have shown what you do daily,” he said.

Atlanta police officials said they were able to locate the suspect after flagging a license plate number on a pickup truck he stole as he fled the scene into Cobb County.

Atlanta mayor thanks police after mass shooting suspect apprehended

01:53 , Josh Marcus

“Law enforcement have taken the suspect into custody thanks to the highly trained police officers,” Atlanta mayor Andre Dickens said during a press conference on Wednesday. “We were able to bring this supect into custody wiuthout further harm.”

“Not only did law enforcement bring this man into custody, they also kept our community safe during an enormously tense afternoon and evening.”

As shootings continue, US states further loosen gun laws

01:52 , Josh Marcus

Many US states continue to weaken their gun laws, even as mass shootings rage on.

As we reported in March, in the weeks before six people, including three nine-year-old children, were fatally shot inside a Nashville school, Tennessee lawmakers considered several pieces of legislation to loosen restrictions on firearms.

The proposals were introduced two years after Republican Governor Bill Lee signed a bill into law that makes it easier for people to openly carry handguns in the state without a permit. Tennessee is one of 25 states with a permitless concealed carry law, a measure that has been rapidly adopted by lawmakers across the US as part of what right-wing activists have called a “constitutional carry” movement in recognition of the Second Amendment.

The same year Tennessee’s legislation was signed into law, lawmakers approved similar measures in Arizona, Iowa, Montana, Texas and Utah. In 2022, lawmakers passed similar bills in Alabama, Georgia, Indiana and Ohio. Republican Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida is expected to sign a similar measure into law this year after its passage in a GOP-controlled legislature.

Read Alex Woodward’s full report.

Tennessee is among half of US states with permitless concealed carry law

Were ‘mess up’ meds to blame for Atlanta shooting?

01:37 , Josh Marcus

Atlanta mass shooting suspect Deion Patterson was angry at his “messed up” medication before he allegedly killed one woman and injured four others at a hospital in the city.

The suspect, who used to serve in the US Coast Guard, remains on the loose and a massive manhunt is underway after police warned that the 24-year-old is “considered armed and dangerous.” “DO NOT approach him,” tweeted Atlanta Police Department as they identified him.

The suspect, who has a military background, had originally attended a medical appointment at the building on Wednesday at which he was accompanied by his mother, reported CNN.

During the appointment he became agitated, pulled out a handgun and allegedly started shooting, a police source told the news network.

Graeme Massie has the full story.

Hunt for gunman as one dead and more wounded in Atlanta shooting

Shooting suspect seen being arrested

01:26 , Josh Marcus

A news helicopter captured footage of Atlanta-area police arresting a suspect wanted for shooting at least five people, one fatally, at a Midtown hospital on Wednesday.

An 11Alive news crew captured live images of a man, potentially Deion Patterson, being apprehended at a condominium complex in Cobb County.

The station also reports that Mr Patterson was seen wandering the complex with an exposed weapon, and that he had a previous marijuana posession on his record.

Suspect arrested in Atlanta shooting

01:11 , Josh Marcus

Deion Patterson, the suspect in a shooting at a hospital in Atlanta, Georgia which left one woman dead and four others wounded, has been taken into custody, police have said.

Follow our breaking news coverage here for all the latest information.

Shooting suspect was visiting hospital with his mother

Thursday 4 May 2023 00:50 , Josh Marcus

A man accused of fatally shooting at least one person and injuring at least four more was visiting a medical facility in Midtown Atlanta with his mother, CNN reports.

The mother of suspected gunman Deion Patterson is reportedly cooperating with police.

Raphael Warnock urges Congress to act on gun violence after Atlanta shooting: ‘None of us are safe’

Thursday 4 May 2023 00:31 , Graeme Massie

The Georgia senator’s children were locked down in their schools during the manhunt.

Raphael Warnock urges Congress to act on gun violence after Atlanta shooting

Suspect’s vehicle found in Cobb County

Thursday 4 May 2023 00:10 , Graeme Massie

A vehicle allegedly stolen by Deion Patterson was located inside a parking garage along Heritage Court near The Battery Atlanta.

“We did get information that the shooter may have come to Cobb County, so we began to actually check our flock cameras,” said Cobb police spokesman Sgt Wayne Delk. “We went back and did discover that the vehicle had entered Cobb County.”

Senator Raphael Warnock addresses shooting in his hometown

Wednesday 3 May 2023 23:52 , Graeme Massie

“None of us is safe, no matter where we are. This happened in a medical facility where people are trying to find healing,” said the US Senator for Georgia.

Photos capture Atlanta mass shooting and suspect Deion Patterson’s arrest

02:41 , Josh Marcus

Suspect may be near home of Atlanta Braves

Wednesday 3 May 2023 23:27 , Graeme Massie

Deion Patterson may be near Truist Park and The Battery in Cobb County after the car he is suspected of being in showed up on a licence plate reader in the area, sources told CNN.

Truist Park is where the Atlanta Braves play and is around 11 miles from the scene of the shooting earlier in the day.

Police chief gives ages of victims

Wednesday 3 May 2023 22:23 , Graeme Massie

Atlanta Police Department Chief Darin Schierbaum told reporters that all five women had been shot in a waiting room on the 11th floor of the building.

Chief Schierbaum said that the woman who died was 39, while the other four wounded women are aged 25, 39, 56 and 71.

Suspect is a former member of the Coast Guard

Wednesday 3 May 2023 22:00 , Gustaf Kilander

The suspect, Deion Patterson, 24, is a former member of the Coast Guard.

The agency said in a statement on Wednesday that he “entered the Coast Guard in July 2018 and last served as an Electrician’s Mate Second Class. He was discharged from active duty in January 2023.”.

“Our deepest sympathies are with the victims and their families,” they added, according to CNN.

Suspect not found after several false alarms checked

Wednesday 3 May 2023 21:55 , Gustaf Kilander

Raphael Warnock says his children were on lockdown

Wednesday 3 May 2023 21:45 , Gustaf Kilander

Georgia Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock took to the senate floor on Wednesday to push congress to take action on gun control.

“If we refuse to act while our children are dying and in a moment when no one is safe, then shame on us. Shame on us if we allow this to happen and we do absolutely nothing,” Mr Warnock said, according to CNN.

“My own two children were on lockdown this afternoon ... They are there, I’m here, hoping and praying that they are safe – but the truth is none of us is safe,” he added.

Slamming the gun lobby, he said, “those who want to convince us that common-sense gun reform is somehow a call to take everybody’s guns, this is not the cost of freedom … it is the cost of greed”.

Cobb Police searching Vinings, Cumberland, Truist Park

Wednesday 3 May 2023 21:35 , Gustaf Kilander

Video from Atlanta shooting

Wednesday 3 May 2023 21:31 , Graeme Massie

Atlanta Mayor says ‘focus is in Cobb County’

Wednesday 3 May 2023 21:25 , Gustaf Kilander

Patterson fled as police ‘were descending on this area'

Wednesday 3 May 2023 21:20 , Gustaf Kilander

Atlanta Police Department Chief Darin Schierbaum said on Wednesday afternoon that law enforcement thinks that the suspect may have stolen a car near the area of the shooting.

The chief said that suspect Deion Patterson fled as police “were descending on this area,” according to CNN.

“We believe he has left the area,” the chief said, adding that Patterson “may not still be in that vehicle”.

Images of Atlanta shooting

Wednesday 3 May 2023 21:14 , Graeme Massie

Atlanta gunman shot five women in medical centre waiting area, police chief says

Wednesday 3 May 2023 21:10 , Gustaf Kilander

The suspect in the Atlanta shooting was in the waiting room of a medical centre when he shot five women, killing one of them, the Atlanta Police Department Chief Darin Schierbaum has said.

Police were called to Northside Hospital Medical in Midtown Atlanta at 12.08pm ET.

The chief said officers are still searching for the suspect, who has been identified as Deion Patterson, 24.

The gun used is also being looked for.

“Credible leads” are being followed up on in the city of Atlanta and in Cobb County, he added, according to CNN.

Reward of $10,000 for capture of Deion Patterson

Wednesday 3 May 2023 20:53 , Graeme Massie

Crime Stoppers has put up a $10,000 reward for information leading to Deion Patterson’s arrest and indictment, according to the Atlanta Police Department.

Manhunt seemingly moves to Cobb County

Wednesday 3 May 2023 20:38 , Graeme Massie

Cobb County Police are now also assisting in the search for Deion Patterson, according to 11Alive.

“Portions of Cobb County that border Atlanta may see heavier than normal presence,” Cobb Police said.

Atlanta lawmaker calls more gun control in wake of shooting

Wednesday 3 May 2023 20:24 , Graeme Massie

Atlanta City Councilman Amir Farokhi called for tightened gun controls after the shooting in his district on Wednesday.

“I hope APD apprehends the shooter quickly,” Mr Farokhi told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “My heart hurts for those injured and the family of the deceased. Gun violence has become a daily occurrence in our country.

“We cannot let it become normalized. The time is past due for common sense gun reform. We all deserve to feel safe everywhere.”

Suspect’s mother breaks silence on shooting

Wednesday 3 May 2023 20:11 , Graeme Massie

“The damn VA gave him some messed up medication. And all he wanted was an Ativan,” his mother, Minyone Patterson, told The Daily Beast before hanging up.

The suspect, who has a military background, had originally attended a medical appointment at the building and was accompanied by his mother, reported CNN.

During the appointment he became agitated, pulled out a handgun and started shooting, a police source told the news network.

Police investigating nearby carjacking

Wednesday 3 May 2023 20:04 , Alex Woodward

Police are investigating a nearby carjacking incident reported at Williams and 13th streets blocks from the hospital.

Shooting suspect Deion Patterson is no longer believed to be near the hospital. Police are working to determine whether the incidents are related.

Police lift shelter in place order

Wednesday 3 May 2023 20:03 , Alex Woodward

Atlanta police have lifted a lockdown order at Northside Hospital but continue to urge people to stay away from the scene.

White House is aware of incident

Wednesday 3 May 2023 19:53 , Alex Woodward

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are aware of the “ongoing, very fluid situation” Atlanta shooting and at-large suspect, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Wednesday.

The president is “frustrated about what we’re seeing in our communities and in our schools and our churches” when it comes to gun violence, she added.

Police release image of suspect

Wednesday 3 May 2023 19:49 , Alex Woodward

The Atlanta Police Department has released this image of 24-year-old Deion Patterson, who is believed to be the suspect who killed at least one person and injured four others at a medical centre in midtown Atlanta on Wednesday.

Six Atlanta public schools will remain on lockdown until shooter in custody

Wednesday 3 May 2023 19:45 , Alex Woodward

The following schools will remain in lockdown until the suspected gunman is in custody: Midtown High School, Washington High School, Stanton Elementary, King Middle, Wesley International Charter, and Dunbar Elementary.

“Parents, please stay home,” Atlanta Public Schools said in a statement: “At this time, schools on HOLD will not release students to leave until the lockdowns are lifted. Our buildings are secure and as long as students are inside, they are safe. All other clusters will have normal dismissal.”

Suspect was believed to be inside hospital for appointment, police spokesperson said

Wednesday 3 May 2023 19:42 , Alex Woodward

The man accused of killing at least one person and injuring at least four others at a midtown medical centre in Atlanta on Wednesday was there for an appointment, police spokesperson Chata Spikes told CNN.

The mother of the suspected shooter, who accompanied him to the medical centre, is cooperating with police and was uninjured in the shooting, CNN reported.

Atlanta police release suspect’s name and age

Wednesday 3 May 2023 19:38 , Alex Woodward

Atlanta police have reported that the suspect picture in surveillance footage is 24-year-old Deion Patterson.

Three victims in critical condition and one person in surgery

Wednesday 3 May 2023 19:35 , Alex Woodward

Three shooting victims are in critical condition and one person is in surgery, according to Dr Robert Jansen at Grady Memorial Hospital.

The staff is prepared for mass casualty event to treat up to 12 people, if necessary.

The hospital is not in lockdown.

Officials at Grady Memorial Hospital to hold press briefing

Wednesday 3 May 2023 19:22 , Alex Woodward

Officials at Atlanta’s Grady Memorial Hospital, where four victims are reportedly being treated at the city’s only level 1 trauma centre, will hold a press briefing momentarily.

Live coverage of the scene in midtown Atlanta

Wednesday 3 May 2023 19:19 , Alex Woodward

The Independent has live coverage of the scene in midtown Atlanta after one person was killed and four others injured near Northside Hospital on Wednesday afternoon.

Northside Hospital confirms shooting at Atlanta location

Wednesday 3 May 2023 19:16 , Alex Woodward

A statement from Northside Hospital said the organisation is “cooperating with law enforcement following the shooting” at its midtown Atlanta location.

“We urge people in the area to shelter in place and follow instructions from law enforcement on the scene,” the statement adds. “This tragedy is affecting all of us, and we ask for patience and prayers at this time.”

Update: Four injured in Atlanta shooting, according to police

Wednesday 3 May 2023 19:05 , Alex Woodward

At least four people have been injured and were transported to Grady Hospital’s trauma center, according to police.

At least one person has been killed, police reported.

No additional shots have been fired since initial shooting, police say

Wednesday 3 May 2023 19:02 , Alex Woodward

A gunman has not fired any additional shots since the initial shooting incident, according to police.

Georgia state Senator Josh McLorin said he was inside a nearby restaurant during the shooting. Police told people inside to shelter in place.

“It’s confusion, it’s uncertaintly, it’s fear. We’re just going to continue to do what we’re told,” he told Atlanta’s 11Alive-TV.

A witness on his lunch break recalls police telling him to shelter in place

Wednesday 3 May 2023 18:59 , Alex Woodward

A man who works in a nearby building said he was preparing to leave for his lunch break when police told him to stay inside the building during what became an active shooter situtation.

“It’s really nerve wracking,” he told ABC News.

“What could you do?” he said. “I went to start looking up to make sure nobody wasn’t hanging a rifle out of one of these windows ... I went to put my back against the wall and do whatever the officesr told me to do at the time.”

Nearly 200 mass shootings within first five months of 2023

Wednesday 3 May 2023 18:48 , Alex Woodward

There have been at least 189 mass shootings in the US within the first five months of 2023, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

The organisation considers a mass shooting as an incident in which a “minimum of four victims shot, either injured or killed, not including any shooter who may also have been killed or injured in the incident”.

One person found dead at scene, three others transported hospital

Wednesday 3 May 2023 18:44 , Alex Woodward

Atlanta police have reported that one person was fatally shot near a downtown hospital facility shortly before 1pm ET.

Three others were sent to nearby hospitals.

“The suspect is believed to be armed and dangerous and should not be approached,” according to police.

Atlanta police release surveillance images showing suspect

Wednesday 3 May 2023 18:42 , Alex Woodward

Atlanta Police Department released the following images of a person believed to be responsible for killing at least one person and injuring three others on Wednesday:

Hunt for gunman as one dead and three wounded in mass shooting at Atlanta hospital

Wednesday 3 May 2023 18:40 , Alex Woodward

One person was shot and killed and three injured inside a building in midtown Atlanta and an “active shooter” remains on the loose, police in the city have confirmed.

One dead and three injured as active shooter remains on loose in midtown Atlanta