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On Wednesday, May 3, 24-year-old Deion Patterson was arrested in Cobb County for allegedly murdering one woman and injuring four others in the Atlanta hospital shooting. All of the victims in the attack were women. According to the CNN, Deion Patterson is a former service member and coastguard who went to the hospital with his mother for an appointment.
Though the motive behind the shooting remains unconfirmed, Mediate News reported that something during the appointment reportedly provoked him into the tragic act of violence.
Trigger warning: This article concerns gun violence. Reader's discretion is advised.
Deion Patterson was arrested on Wednesday evening, after a brief manhunt. Officials believe that he did not fire any more shots after the Atlanta hospital incident.
According to Fox, prior to the incident, authorities had minimal contact with the suspect.
Deion Patterson was discharged from active military duty in January this year
As stated by Atlanta authorities, Deion Patterson entered service as a Coast Guardsman, where he was Electrician's Mate Second Class. He was discharged from active duty in January of this year for undisclosed reasons.
According to 11Alive, he had only been arrested by police once before for marijuana possession.
Patterson's aunt, Karen Henderson, said that she had seen no signs of mental illness in the suspect when she last saw him. Her last meeting with the alleged shooter was prior to his enlistment in the coastguard.
The Independent reported that Patterson's mother, Minyone, had said that the suspect was suffering from mental health issues, though she did not disclose the reason. She reportedly told Daily Beast that the suspect's mental state had been aggravated after the VA supposedly gave him the wrong medication:
"The damn VA gave him some messed up medication. And all he wanted was an Ativan.”
What happened at the Atlanta hospital?
As per CNN, at approximately 12 pm on Wednesday, Minyone and Deion Patterson entered the hospital in midtown Atlanta for an evaluation. As they were sitting in the waiting room, Deion reportedly became agitated and began firing at other people in the hospital. A 39-year-old woman was pronounced dead at the scene. Four other women, aged 25, 39, 56 and 71, were left in critical condition.
After the shots were fired, surveillance cameras showed the suspect leaving the building by an elevator. Authorities suspect that he proceeded to steal a white pickup truck before fleeing the scene of the shooting. The truck, a white Toyota Tacoma, was later found abandoned.
Fox reported that vigorous searches were carried out around Vinings, Cumberland, and Truist Park. Authorities told reporters that they used license reading technology and public tips to track down the suspect. He was eventually found near an apartment complex, where he was arrested without any further incident.
