A US Coast Guard veteran suspected of fatally shooting a woman and injuring four others (all women) in a medical waiting room in the bustling heart of Atlanta was apprehended after an eight-hour manhunt that caused fear and chaos in the city. The suspect, 24-year-old Deion Duwane Patterson, was arrested at a suburban condo complex. Here’s everything you need to know about the mass shooting….
It was a chaotic and tense eight-hour manhunt, but authorities finally captured the alleged gunman who had opened fire at a medical building in Midtown Atlanta on Wednesday.
Sadly, 38-year-old Amy St. Pierre lost her life in the attack, while four other women were injured. The alleged perpetrator, 24-year-old Deion Patterson, had entered Northside Medical Midtown at noon and fired the first shot at St. Pierre. He then fled on foot and hijacked a nearby vehicle. The weapon used in the attack was a handgun, according to authorities.
All five victims in today’s mass shooting in Atlanta were women, ranging in age from their 20s – 70s. I didn’t think that my heart could sink any deeper.
— Keisha Lance Bottoms (@KeishaBottoms) May 3, 2023
This targeting of women is a disturbing trend in acts of violence, as it speaks to larger societal issues of misogyny and violence against women.
The victim of Wednesday’s shooting has been identified as Amy St. Pierre, her husband confirmed to AJC. St. Pierre was an employee at @CDCgov
In an e-mail, Benjamin N. Haynes, director of the Division of Media Relations said, the “CDC is deeply saddened by the unexpected loss of… pic.twitter.com/6gJFC7iu9w
— Atlanta Journal-Constitution (@ajc) May 4, 2023
Amy St. Pierre was a valued employee of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an Atlanta-based organization. The ages of the women who were injured in the shooting range from 25 to 71 years old. They were all transported to a nearby hospital, with three of them in critical condition. The manhunt may be over, but the community is left to mourn the loss of a beloved member and hope for the speedy recovery of the injured.
Grady Hospital officials provided an update on the condition of the victims of the Midtown Atlanta shooting on Thursday. According to the officials, three of the women who had undergone surgery for their injuries were now in the ICU, indicating the severity of their injuries.
However, there was some good news as well. The fourth victim was in stable condition and was recovering in Grady’s trauma center and will likely not need surgery.
Deion Duwane Patterson, the 24-year-old suspect in the Midtown Atlanta shooting that left one woman dead and four others injured, is facing serious charges. Fulton County jail records indicate that Deion is charged with one count of murder and four counts of aggravated assault.
Despite the gravity of the charges against him, the shooter chose to waive his right to a first appearance in court, which had been scheduled for Thursday morning. This unexpected move has left many wondering about his motivations and what could be going through his mind.
The mother of the suspect in the Midtown Atlanta shooting has issued an apology to the families of those who lost their lives and those who were injured. In addition to expressing remorse, she had a message for those who may be asked to help someone dealing with mental illness: “Don’t disregard them.”
Minyone Patterson, the mother of Deion Patterson, has shed some light on her son’s mental state. Speaking to The Associated Press by phone, she revealed that her son, a former Coast Guardsman, had been struggling with mental instability as a result of medication he received from the Veterans Affairs health system.
According to Minyone, Deion had requested Ativan, a medication commonly used to treat anxiety and depression. However, the VA denied his request, citing concerns about the medication’s addictive nature. This denial was a source of frustration for Deion, who, according to his mother, would have taken the proper dosage.
Minyone, who is a nurse, had tried to advocate for her son, assuring the VA that he would follow the prescribed dosage. Unfortunately, this did not change the outcome, and Deion was left without the medication he believed he needed.
Deion’s dissatisfaction with his treatment from the Department of Veterans Affairs led him to seek medical attention at Northside Medical Midtown facility around noon on Wednesday, according to a high-level source with the Atlanta Police Department. However, when doctors refused to prescribe him the anti-anxiety drug Ativan, things took a turn for the worse.
According to Deion’s mother, he became angry and agitated. He then proceeded to pull out a handgun and began firing, causing chaos and destruction in the busy medical facility. After the shooting, he fled the scene on foot before stealing a vacant pickup truck idling at a gas station and driving north to Cobb County.
“First and foremost, I want to give my sincere, sincere apology to the families that were injured and killed,” Minyone said, according to WANF. “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,” she said. “Help them, just don’t disregard them. They need help.”
“Those families, those families,” she said, starting to sob. “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.”
Police used a combination of cutting-edge camera technology and intelligence gathered from Deion’s family to create a widespread lockdown of schools and businesses in the surrounding area. The massive manhunt continued for hours until a crucial tip came in, prompting an undercover officer to chase the suspect on foot Wednesday night at the gated complex (Waterford Place), according to Cobb County Police Chief Stuart VanHoozer.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens confirms police have arrested a former US Coast Guardsman suspected of killing one person and wounding four, all of them women, in a shooting at a medical building in the city, then carjacking a vehicle to flee the scene https://t.co/CgWJZ8voy2 pic.twitter.com/Gdbun3xJ3W
— Reuters (@Reuters) May 4, 2023
In the aftermath of the Midtown office building shooting that left five people injured, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens is calling for urgent national action on mental health and gun regulation. In an open letter to the city, Dickens expressed his thoughts on Thursday morning, stating that “mass shootings should not be considered normal in our country” and that “we cannot accept it.” You can read his full letter here.
The mayor’s plea for action on gun violence and mental health highlights the urgent need for policymakers to address the root causes of mass shootings and take steps to prevent future tragedies.
We send our heartfelt condolences and hearts to everyone affected by this tragedy.
Photo: Fulton County Sheriff’s Office/Facebook
