2023 Atlanta shooting | |
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Location | Midtown Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
Coordinates | 33°47′07″N84°23′18″W / 33.7852°N 84.3883°W |
Date | May 3, 2023 c. 12:00 p.m. (UTC−4) |
Attack type | Mass shooting |
Weapons | Handgun |
Deaths | 1 |
Injured | 4 |
Motive | Revenge after being denied a prescription for Lorazepam [1] |
Accused | Deion Patterson [2] |
On May 3, 2023, a mass shooting occurred at a Northside Hospital facility in Midtown Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Five people were shot, one fatally and three critically, before a male suspect, Deion Patterson, fled the scene. He was apprehended eight hours later and charged with one count of murder and four counts of aggravated assault. [3] [4] [5]
The shooting took place on May 3, 2023, at approximately 12:00 p.m. EDT. Police were dispatched at 12:08 p.m. [6] The Atlanta Police Department (APD) issued a tweet at 12:37 p.m. urging residents to shelter in place near Northside Hospital's Midtown facility, following up reports of an active shooter situation inside the building with multiple confirmed injuries. [7] The facility is located in a commercial district within Atlanta. [8] According to police, the suspect was there for an appointment and was accompanied by his mother. At some point, he became agitated and pulled out a handgun. The nature of the appointment has not been disclosed due to HIPAA regulations. [9] The APD began a manhunt for the suspect several minutes later, tweeting a photograph of the suspect. [10] Atlantic House apartments, located near the hospital, was put under lockdown. [11] The shelter-in-place was lifted an hour later. [12]
According to APD chief Darin Schierbaum, the suspect stole a white Toyota Tacoma truck at a nearby Shell gas station and was able to flee the scene. [13] Police in Cobb County increased their presence in Vinings, Cumberland, and the area surrounding Truist Park in an effort to find the suspect. [14] According to a license plate reader, the suspect was near Truist Park and The Battery. [15] The stolen vehicle was recovered at a parking garage with a nearby camera recording the suspect around 12:30 p.m. [16] [17]
Atlanta Public Schools dispatched officers at the schools it administrates and held students for dismissal. [18] All patient appointments at the facility were canceled for May 4. [19]
Nearly eight hours later, at 7:40 p.m. police arrested 24-year-old Deion Patterson [20] [21] in Smyrna's Waterford Place neighborhood, [22] 13 miles (21 km) from the scene of the shooting. [23]
The victims are all women, with ages ranging from 25 to 71. The deceased was identified as 39-year-old Amy St. Pierre, who was employed by the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. [2] A reward of $10,000 is being offered for information that leads to the indictment of the male suspect. [24] The suspect's mother was also inside the hospital at the time of the shooting but left uninjured. [25]
Victims are currently being treated at Grady Memorial Hospital. According to the Associate Chief of Neurosurgery Sanjay Gupta, three victims arrived in critical condition and required surgery. [26] The fourth victim is in stable condition and is not expected to require surgery. [2]
The Atlanta Police Department and United States Coast Guard were working together to investigate the shooting. [27] The family of the suspected gunman is working with law enforcement. [28]
Deion Patterson was born in Hanover, Maryland in October 1998, and raised in Jonesboro, Georgia. [29] He is a former Coast Guard electrician's mate second class, serving from July 2018 until January 2023. He had previous criminal histories in both Henry County and Clayton County dating back to 2015. [30] [31] [32] [9] [33] He was subsequently charged with one count of murder and four counts of aggravated assault. [21]
President Joe Biden and vice president Kamala Harris were made aware of the shooting. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that Biden is "frustrated about what we're seeing in our communities and in our schools and our churches". [34] Governor Brian Kemp, following the capture of Patterson, said: "We are heartbroken by today’s tragedy in Midtown Atlanta and join all Georgians in praying for those impacted and their loved ones…also thanking God for the brave local and state law enforcement who responded forcefully and without hesitation". [35] Georgia senator Raphael Warnock, whose children were put under lockdown during the shooting, addressed Congress to demand action on gun legislation. [36] Atlanta mayor Andre Dickens said it was a "traumatic day" for the city and called for stricter gun laws. [2]
CDC spokesperson Benjamin Haynes said in an email that the organization was deeply saddened to learn of the death of Amy St. Pierre, who was an employee of the Atlanta-based CDC headquarters, and the only fatality of the shooting. [2]
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