The suspect in a mass shooting which took place in Atlanta was apprehended Wednesday.
Deion Patterson allegedly opened fire in the waiting room of Northside Medical Hospital in Midtown Atlanta. The shooting killed a 39-year-old woman and wounded four others between the ages of 25 and 71. Patterson reportedly fled the scene immediately after in a stolen vehicle. He was considered “armed and dangerous.” (RELATED: Police Searching For ‘Armed And Dangerous’ Suspect After Atlanta Shooting Reportedly Leaves 1 Dead, 3 Injured)
Patterson’s mother, Minyone Patterson, was allegedly present at the hospital at the time of the shooting.
🚨#BREAKING: Active shooter inside the Northside Hospital with multiple people injured
⁰📌 #Atlanta | #Georgia ⁰
Currently numerous law enforcements and other agencies are responding to a active shooter situation inside the Northside Hospital in Midtown Atlanta has issued a… pic.twitter.com/owZxQT3gUX— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) May 3, 2023
Authorities reportedly found the suspect after a nearly eight-hour manhunt. Patterson was allegedly seen in the vehicle by license plate recognition cameras around 12:30 p.m. Police were reportedly notified around 2:30 p.m. that he could potentially be in the Cobb County area.
Police arrested Patterson in a condominium complex around 7:45 p.m.
Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said in a press conference that they had not determined a motive.
The suspect was reportedly a former Coast Guardsman from the years 2018 to 2023. The alleged shooter was reportedly discharged in 2023 for unspecified reasons. Patterson had been seeking new mental health care after expressing dissatisfaction with the care he received from the Department of Veterans affairs. Patterson’s mother told Associated Press that her son’s actions could’ve been prevented if he was prescribed Ativan, a drug that treats anxiety disorders.
“Those families, those families,” she said. “They’re hurting because they wouldn’t give my son his damn Ativan. Those families lost their loved ones because he had a mental break because they wouldn’t listen to me.”
Patterson’s mother gave her condolences to the victims in an interview with CBS affiliate WANF.
“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.”