A patient opened fire at Northside Hospital Medical Midtown in Atlanta on May 2 after reportedly becoming upset during a medical appointment at the facility. The shooting has so far left a CDC employee dead and four injured, according to CNN.
The woman killed, Amy St. Pierre, 38, was a public health adviser for the CDC in Atlanta. All five victims are women between the ages 25 to 71, according to Fox 5. Police said the suspect's mother accompanied him to the appointment and was there during the shooting, but was not injured, the outlet reported.
The suspect reportedly was not satisfied with medical care he had received from the Department of Veterans Affairs as a former Coast Guard member and hoped to receive new care from Northside, according to CNN. His mother reportedly said he became upset when physicians would not prescribe him Ativan, an anti-anxiety medication, WSB-TV, an ABC affiliate reported May 4.
"Northside Hospital is cooperating with law enforcement following the shooting at our midtown #Atlanta location earlier this afternoon. We urge people in the area to shelter in place and follow instructions from law enforcement on the scene," the facility said in an initial tweet. "This tragedy is affecting all of us, and we ask for patience and prayers at this time," it later added to the thread.
Victims were transported to Grady Memorial Hospital about 3 miles away from the site of the shooting.
"Grady Hospital received four patients from the shooting in midtown Atlanta. Three patients are in critical condition and one is in stable condition," Grady Hospital's media team shared with Becker's in an initial statement May 3. "Visitation at the hospital was initially placed on hold while the suspect was at-large but is no longer in effect."
As of the evening of May 3, the three patients who were in critical condition underwent surgery and were then taken to the hospital's intensive care unit. The other patient was placed in the trauma center, according to a media update shared with Becker's.
May 4 at 12 p.m. EDT, Robert Jansen, MD, Grady Health System's chief medical officer, gave an update on the victims' conditions, which was livestreamed by ABC News. He said he has spoken to two of the four patients who shared with him how traumatized they are and how grateful they are for the care they were receiving as survivors of the attack. Two patients are still in critical care and will likely undergo further surgeries today, he noted.
At this time it is still unknown if the rest of the victims were Northside Medical Midtown staff or patients, Dr. Jansen stated.
"Unfortunately this is almost a daily occurrence here. We have multiple shooting victims come in every day," he said. "But when they come in like this, particularly because it was in a healthcare setting, it resonates more and creates angst, as you would imagine."
Dr. Jansen said during the May 4 press conference that because the event was also traumatizing for healthcare workers there are staff on-site to provide support for the medical workers treating the patients as well.
Police initially issued a shelter-in-place advisory for residents after the suspected shooter allegedly stole a vehicle and left the area. They later identified the suspect as Deion Patterson, a 24-year-old former member of the Coast Guard. He was found 10 miles away in a gated Cobb County condo complex after an eight-hour manhunt, according to CNN.
The suspect was then arrested. He has been charged with murder and aggravated assault, according to ABC News.
Northside Medical Midtown will be closed Thursday, May 4, according to a tweet. The facility encouraged patients to follow up with providers directly to reschedule any appointments.
"The Northside Hospital family is grieving," the facility said in its first formal statement since the attack. "We deeply love and support the employees and patients who were directly involved, as well as others impacted in different ways. We are incredibly grateful for the quick and courageous response of Atlanta-area law enforcement. Northside also thanks our colleagues at Grady Memorial Hospital for the care being provided to the victims. Their actions brought comfort and safety to our patients and staff at Northside Medical Midtown."
The statement did not mention if the facility will remain closed May 5, but said it will be a day of reflection for its employees and community members.
Becker's reached out to Northside Medical Midtown to request further comment on the matter and did not immediately hear back. This story is still developing and will be updated as more information becomes available.