A suspected gunman is in custody after an active shooter situation inside a building that left at least one person dead and four others injured, according to the Atlanta Police Department.
The shooting occurred around noon inside a building on West Peachtree Street between 12th and 13th Streets, the Atlanta Police Department said.
Police said they are aware of "multiple people injured," and later updated that at least four people were rushed to Grady Hospital for treatment while a fifth was pronounced dead at the scene.
FLORIDA APARTMENT COMPLEX SHOOTING LEAVES 4 DEAD, INCLUDING MOTHER AND THREE CHILDREN
Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum told reporters all five victims were shot in a waiting area on the 11th floor of the medical facility where the shooting took place.
All five victims were women, the chief added, with a 39-year-old woman being killed. The other four victims were ages 25, 39, 56 and 71.
Police identified the suspect as 24-year-old Deion Patterson, advising the public to call 911 and to not approach him because he is considered armed and dangerous.
Schierbaum said he does not know why Patterson shot the women, but when asked whether his mother was injured, the chief said she was not.
According to the chief, the suspect carjacked a vehicle before fleeing the scene. Police have recovered the vehicle, the chief noted.
"There have been no additional shots fired since the initial incident unfolded," the department said in a tweet.
Multiple police and emergency vehicles were on the scene as the search for the suspect continued.
"Anyone in the area is asked to secure their building and shelter in place," police said earlier in the day, urging citizens who were not already in the area to stay away.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said earlier that he was close contact with police and urged those in the area to shelter in place.
Police have since lifted the shelter in place order, though no other details about why it was lifted were provided.
Law enforcement agencies in several jurisdictions including DeKalb and Fulton counties, and college campus police departments are assisting with the search.
Patterson is a former member of the U.S. Coast Guard, according to the office of public affairs for the military branch.
He first entered the service in July 2018 and worked his way up to an Electrician’s Mate Second Class before being discharged from active duty in January 2023. The Coast Guard did not provide further details about the condition of Patterson’s discharge from service.
"The Coast Guard is aware of the tragic incident in Atlanta allegedly involving Mr. Deion Patterson," the public affairs office said. "Our deepest sympathies are with the victims and their families. The Coast Guard Investigative Service is working closely with the Atlanta Police Department and local authorities in the investigation."
Schierbaum and Dickens both stressed that Patterson is considered armed and dangerous, and should anyone see him, to call 911 immediately.
The public also has the option of calling Crime Stoppers Atlanta at 404-577-TIPS (8477) where anonymous tips can be left. There is a $10,000 award being offered for tips leading to the arrest and indictment of the suspect.
Cobb County Police Department Sergeant Wayne Delk told reporters just after 6 p.m. that officers were focusing on an area near Windy Ridge Parkway and Heritage Court, adding that was the last known location of the suspect.
Delk said a Department of Transportation camera captured Patterson and the vehicle in that vicinity at 12:30, though his department was not notified of the sighting until nearly two hours later.
He also said there have not been any confirmed eyewitness sightings of the suspect.
The vehicle Patterson allegedly carjacked was found in a parking garage on Heritage Court, Delk said.
Patterson’s prior convictions include a violation of the Georgia Controlled Substance Act, failing to appear in court, and a probation violation which resulted in the revocation of his probation.
Northside Hospital posted to social media that officials were cooperating with law enforcement regarding the shooting at its midtown Atlanta location.
Dr. Robert Jensen, the chief medical officer at the hospital said four adult victims were brought to the facility.
Dr. Jensen provided an update on the four victims who were sent to his facility, saying one victim was being operated on while another had just been released from operating room and sent to the intensive care unit.
A third victim was provided interventional radiology, a less invasive procedure to operating on a person.
The fourth victim, Dr. Jensen added, was listed in stable condition.
This is a breaking news story; check back for updates.
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