Global Courant 2023-05-04 01:08:25
Gunfire erupted bee An Atlanta medical facility on Wednesdaykilling at least one woman and injuring four others as police searched for the attacker, authorities said.
Police were looking for 24-year-old Deion Patterson, who is believed to be the shooter whose photo was captured by security cameras, officials said.
Patterson fled in a vehicle that he carjacked and later abandoned, Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum told reporters.
Multiple police stations in Atlanta, Fulton County and neighboring Cobb County were on high alert for the armed suspect, officials said.
“He was able to flee the scene as law enforcement closed in on this area,” Schierbaum told reporters. “We believe he has left the area.”
Residents had been asked to stay away from 1110 W. Peachtree St. after an “active gunman” was reported at about 12:30 a.m. officials said. A shelter order from the Atlanta Police Department was lifted just after 3pm.
According to Schierbaum, the shooting took place at around 12:08 a.m. in a waiting room of the medical center.
The victims, all women, were not immediately identified.
The fatally injured victim was 39, while those injured were 71, 56, 39 and 25 years old, Schierbaum said. It was not immediately clear whether the victims were patients or hospital employees.
“It is still too early to know why these individuals were chosen,” Schierbaum said of the victims.
Police posted photos of a suspect who is “still on the loose.” They later identified him as Patterson.
If anyone sees Patterson, they are asked to call 911 and not to contact him.
Patterson was at the medical facility with his mother for an appointment, police told NBC News.
A woman who answered the number belonging to the suspect’s mother refused to answer questions and turned the phone over to an Atlanta police officer.
The gunman’s mother was not injured in the gunfire and his family has cooperated with the detectives, the chief said.
The four injured, all adults, were rushed to Grady Memorial Hospital, where three were admitted in critical condition, Chief Medical Officer Robert Jansen told reporters.
The hospital was mobilized for a possible “mass casualty event” and was ready to treat up to 12 gunshot victims, Jansen added.
“Within minutes, we had multiple trauma surgeons, multiple employees” ready to shoot victims, Jansen said. “We were fully prepared. We expected up to 12 patients, luckily we only got four.”
The address disclosed by the police matched a location of a North Medical Facility which houses a cancer center, an orthopedic institute, a radiology unit and more.
“Northside Hospital is cooperating with law enforcement following the shooting at our downtown #Atlanta location earlier this afternoon,” the health care company said. “We are urging people in the area to take shelter in place and follow instructions from the police on site.”
Emergency services are at work on Monday at the scene of a shooting in Atlanta.WXIA
Within minutes of the police alert, the block where the facility is located was overrun with patrol cars and ambulances.
There were few pedestrians on the streets in what is normally a busy lunchtime rush in Atlanta’s Midtown neighborhood, which is full of hotels, museums and restaurants.
Peachtree Street, Atlanta’s main thoroughfare, is lined with bars, comedy clubs, shops, and a variety of dining options.
Atlanta Public Schools announced nearby campuses were on lockdown in the wake of the gunfire. officials said.
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have been briefed on the shooting, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.
This is an evolving story. Check back later for updates.
Juliette Arcodia, Jay Varela, Katy Tur, Gemma DiCasimirro and Curtis Bunn contributed.
