Atlanta mass shooting suspect apprehended

The suspect in Wednesday’s mass shooting in Atlanta has been apprehended, the Cobb County Police Department said.

Police spent several hours searching for 24-year-old Deion Patterson, who is accused of killing one person and injuring four others in a shooting at Northside Hospital. 

One 39-year-old woman died at the scene, while four other women between the ages of 25 and 71 were hospitalized. 

“Thanks to the highly trained police officers across our region, we were able to bring this suspect into custody without further harm,” Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens (D) said at an evening press briefing. “He will be charged and stand trial for his crimes.” 

Shortly after fleeing the scene of the shooting, Patterson commandeered a vehicle at a Shell gas station, Atlanta Deputy Police Chief of Investigations Charles Hampton said. 

Atlanta police were able to place a tag in their license plate reader system, which alerted them that Patterson had crossed into Cobb County, where he was later apprehended, Hampton added.

Dickens noted that Wednesday’s shooting is one of nearly 200 mass shootings in the U.S. so far this year.

“This was a horrible act of gun violence,” the mayor said. “But equally horrifying is that we know that this is not unique in our country.”

— Updated 9:29 p.m.