According to NBC News, Patterson, 24, allegedly opened fire in the waiting room on the 11th floor of the Northside Hospital medical facility in midtown shortly after noon. Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said the gunman fled the scene in a stolen vehicle, which he eventually abandoned in a parking deck.
Police were able to identify Patterson based on security cameras inside the facility.
Patterson was reportedly visiting the facility with his mother, who had an appointment, and wasn’t harmed in the shooting. Schierbaum said the man’s family has been cooperating with investigators.
A 39-year-old woman was pronounced dead at the scene. Grady Memorial Hospital Chief Medical Officer Robert Jansen confirmed the four victims—all of whom are women, ages 25, 39, 56 and 71—sustained gunshot wounds. Three of the unidentified victims remain in critical condition while the other is currently in the emergency department, according to 11Alive News.
Schierbaum said it was “too soon” to determine if there was a connection between Patterson and those involved in the shooting.
The U.S. Coast Guard confirmed Patterson starting serving in July 2018 and was discharged in January 2023. His mother Minyone told the Associated Press that he had been experiencing “some mental instability” after taking medication supplied to him by the Veterans Affairs medical system on Friday. She claims her son wanted Ativan for his anxiety and depression, but was denied because it was addictive.
