One killed, four injured in Atlanta mass shooting, suspect in custody

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
4 May 2023 08:56

This time the shooting targets a hospital waiting room.

Law enforcement officers arrive near the scene of an active shooter on Wednesday, May 3, 2023 in Atlanta. (AP) — Law enforcement officers arrive at the scene of an active shooter on Wednesday, May 3, 2023, in Atlanta. (AP)

Police have captured a man suspected of shooting five people -- one of whom died -- at an Atlanta hospital on Wednesday, as per authorities in the southern US city.

Just after noon (1700 GMT), Deion Patterson allegedly started shooting in a hospital waiting room, leaving one person dead and four others injured. Then, the shooter allegedly stole a truck that had been left running at a nearby gas station and fled.

Simultaneously, a manhunt went into the night before Patterson was detained outside the city in neighboring Cobb County.

"Law enforcement has taken the suspect into custody," Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said at a news conference Wednesday evening as quoted by AFP.

"He will be charged and stand trial for his crimes," he added.

Patterson was detained "without incident", as per Cobb County police chief Stuart VanHoozer.

Police said at an earlier news conference that the victims, all women, were aged between 25 and 71.

The Fulton County Medical Examiner's office later specified the woman shot and killed as Amy St. Pierre, 38, as per CNN.

The broadcaster added that three other women were in intensive care and a fourth victim was in stable condition.

Local law enforcement, including the FBI and the Secret Service, helped in the search for Patterson, as per police chief Darin Schierbaum.

Patterson had been accompanied in the hospital waiting room by his mother, who was not injured in the shooting, Schierbaum added. CNN further reported he became "enraged" during a visit before opening fire.

Numerous schools close to the hospital went temporarily on lockdown after the shooting.

"Out of an abundance of caution, we have dispatched officers at every school for today's dismissal," Atlanta Public Schools announced on its website once the lockdowns were lifted.

The White House stated that US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris had been briefed on the deadly shooting.

Spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said the President's hands were tied on "more steps to deal with the violence that we're seeing in our communities or schools or churches."

"American people should be able to feel free to go into a grocery store, to go to church," Jean-Pierre said.

According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been more than 190 mass shootings in the United States so far this year, which are defined as incidents where four or more people are injured or killed.

It is worth noting that the United States has the highest rate of gun-related deaths of any developed country: 49,000 in 2021, up from 45,000 the year before.