Deion Patterson, 24, who authorities identified as the suspect wanted in Wednesday’s shooting at a Midtown medical building that left one woman dead and four others injured, has previously been arrested in Clayton and Henry counties and cited for traffic violations in Missouri and was discharged from the U.S. Coast Guard in January. Why he was discharged is unclear.
Patterson was arrested Wednesday evening.
“Our deepest sympathies are with the victims and their families,” the Coast Guard said in a statement. “The Coast Guard Investigative Service is working closely with the Atlanta Police Department and local authorities in the investigation. Mr. Patterson entered the Coast Guard in July 2018 and last served as an Electrician’s Mate Second Class.”
Patterson previously lived in Clayton County according to address records, though he no longer lives there according to the home’s current residents. He also has a relative who lives in the Buckhead area, records show. A person who answered the phone at that address Wednesday declined to speak to a reporter.
Patterson was charged in 2017 with driving under the influence, leaving the scene of a crash, improper lane change and not having insurance, Clayton County court records showed. Those charges were later dropped the same year.
Patterson was arrested in 2015 on a charge of marijuana possession and in 2017 was arrested twice on charges of probation violation, according to the Henry County Sheriff’s Office.
In 2020, Patterson was cited for three separate traffic violations in Saint Louis County and Phelps County, Missouri, court records show. Patterson holds fishing and hunting licenses in Georgia, records show.
Shortly before 1 p.m., officers were called to Northside Hospital Midtown on West Peachtree Street. Atlanta police later released photos of Patterson and identified him as the suspect.
“We have a multijurisdictional effort underway to bring this individual to justice and ensure that we remove him from the street,” Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said. “Everyone should consider him still armed and presenting a danger to whatever community he may find himself in.”
Cobb County police later said the car Patterson is believed to have left Midtown in was recovered near the Braves stadium. Nearly three hours after gunshots were fired in Midtown, Cobb police spokesman Sgt. Wayne Delk said the stolen car had been found in a parking garage along Heritage Court near The Battery Atlanta.
“We did get information that the shooter may have come to Cobb County so we began to actually check our flock cameras,” Delk said. “We went back and did discover that the vehicle had entered Cobb County.”
The cameras detected Patterson in the area about 12:30 p.m.
