Active Shooter Reported In Downtown Atlanta, Multiple People Injured

Authorities in Atlanta responded active shooter in a medical building that left one woman dead and four others injured on Wednesday (May 3) afternoon.

Officials identified the suspect as 24-year-old Deion Patterson. He remains at large and should be considered armed and dangerous. A source told CNN that Patterson went to a doctor's appointment with his mother at Northside Family Medicine and Urgent Care. While in a waiting room on the 11th floor of the building, he became enraged, pulled out a handgun, and started shooting. He fled the area and is believed to have carjacked a vehicle several blocks away. That vehicle was later found abandoned. 

Patterson's mother was not injured in the shooting and is cooperating with the police as they try to locate her son.

Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said a 39-year-old woman was killed in the shooting. Four other female victims were also injured and taken to the hospital. They were between the ages of 25 and 71.

Grady Health System's Chief Medical Officer Dr. Robert Jansen said that one of the women was recovering after surgery. Another woman was currently in the operating room.

Jansen said that the third victim was shot in the face and undergoing an interventional radiology procedure to stop the bleeding.

The fourth victim remains hospitalized but is unlikely to need surgery.

"Within minutes, we had multiple trauma surgeons, multiple staff" ready for shooting victims, Jansen said. "We were fully prepared. We were anticipating up to 12 patients. Fortunately, we only received four."

Authorities advised the public to be on the lookout for Patterson and warned that he should be considered armed and dangerous.

"Based on our preliminary investigation, these are photos believed to be of the active shooter. Anyone with any information on this person's whereabouts is asked to call 911. The suspect is believed to be armed and dangerous and should not be approached," the department said.