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The man wanted for a mass shooting incident in Midtown Atlanta medical center Wednesday has been arrested, and a victim has been identified.
The Independent reports that Deion Patterson was charged after reportedly killing Amy St. Pierre. Pierre was a 38-year-old CDC worker. Furthermore, Patterson injured at least four others after opening fire at Midtown Atlanta’s Northside Hospital.
According to Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the director of the Division of Media Relations for the CDC confirmed the loss of one of their colleagues killed in the shooting via email.
“CDC is deeply saddened by the unexpected loss of a colleague killed today in the Midtown Atlanta shooting. Our hearts are with her family, friends, and colleagues as they remember her and grieve this tragic loss.”
Additionally, Pierre’s husband confirmed her identity as the shooting victim, the outlet reports.
According to New York Post, the motive behind Wednesday’s shooting incident remains to be investigated. The outlet reported a statement from Atlanta Police Deputy Chief Charles Hampton Jr.
“Why he did what he did, all of that is still under investigation.”
As The Shade Room previously reported, Patterson’s mother, Minyone Patterson, accompanied him to the medical facility on Wednesday and shared insight into what may have prompted the shooting.
“The damn VA gave him some messed up medication. And all he wanted was an Ativan.”
New York Post reports that the suspect’s mother is also a nurse and reportedly explained that her son wanted Ativan to help cope with depression and anxiety. However, the VA would not administer Ativan to Patterson because they reportedly believed it to be “too addicting.”
Additionally, Minyone Patterson reportedly shared her grief with reporters.
“Those families, those families. 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.”
The shooting occurred after Patterson, a former member of the U.S. Coast Guard, and his mother attended a medical appointment. There, he pulled out a handgun and began shooting in the waiting room.
Five women, including St Pierre, were shot while the four other victims, ages 25 to 71, remain hospitalized.
The 24-year-old ultimately fled the scene by carjacking a vehicle near the hospital, prompting a citywide manhunt.
Patterson was eventually captured in Cobb County, northwest of Atlanta. He was arrested after police found him hiding near a condo complex’s pool when dogs began barking at him, an area resident told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Patterson triggered a massive manhunt and was considered armed and dangerous in a “be on the lookout” report from local authorities. Furthermore, officials offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to his capture and indictment.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens reportedly shared a statement after Patterson’s capture, as reported by New York Post.
“Right now, we’ve had a successful end to a traumatic day. I hope the city, the region, rests easy that he is in custody, but I also hope that we will stay vigilant to continue to look at a future where individuals who shouldn’t have a gun in possession won’t have one, and also that individuals are brought to justice, and also that we deal with these things that are mental health or easy access to guns.”
As of early May, the Gun Violence Archive has counted more than 192 mass shootings in the United States this year. Last year, the group counted 647 mass shootings. Of those, 21 involved five or more fatalities.
