Atlanta mass shooting live updates: 1 killed, 4 hurt; suspect at large

(ATLANTA) — One person is dead and four are injured from a mass shooting at an Atlanta medical center on Wednesday, police said.

Police have released these images of the suspect, identified as 24-year-old Deion Patterson, who they say is at large.

Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern.

May 03, 4:51 PM EDT

Sen. Warnock, in grief for his home state, begs Congress to take action

Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., gave a passionate speech on the Senate floor in the wake of the latest mass shooting to strike the nation, this one unfolding in his “own backyard.”

“I rise today in shock and sorrow and in grief for my home state,” Warnock said.

Police officers work the scene of a shooting near a medical facility, May 3, 2023, in Atlanta.

Warnock noted that his two children were under lockdown at school on Wednesday amid the ongoing hunt for the Atlanta gunman.

“We behave as if this is normal — it is not normal. It is not right for us to live in a nation where nobody is safe, no matter where they are. We’re not safe in our schools. We’re not safe in our workplaces. We’re not safe at the grocery store. We’re not safe at movie theaters. We’re not safe at spas. We’re not safe in our houses of worship. There is no sanctuary in the sanctuary. We’re not safe at concerts. We’re not safe at banks. We’re not safe at parades. We’re not safe in our own yards and in our own homes,” he said. “And now, today, we can add medical facilities to that list.”

He warned, “It’s only a matter of time that this kind of tragedy comes knocking on your door.”

As a pastor, Warnock said, “I’m praying for those who are affected by this tragedy,” but he stressed, “It is a contradiction to say that you are thinking and praying and do nothing. … We pray by taking action.”

Warnock said he’s “pleading” with his colleagues in Congress to pass stricter gun reforms to “do everything we can to protect all of us and certainly all of our children.”

-ABC News’ Trish Turner

May 03, 3:50 PM EDT

39-year-old woman killed, 4 women injured

The manhunt is ongoing for the mass shooting suspect, 24-year-old Deion Patterson, Atlanta police said at a news conference Wednesday afternoon. Police said the gun has not been recovered.

The shooting, which unfolded in a medical center waiting room, killed a 39-year-old woman, police said.

The four injured victims, who are all women, are “fighting for their lives,” Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said. They are ages 71, 56, 39 and 25, police said.

“As soon as possible I’ll be in touch with the families of the victims,” he said.

Patterson’s family is cooperating with the investigation, police said.

May 03, 3:17 PM EDT

Doctor recounts performing surgery as shooting unfolded 1 floor below

Dr. Timothy Simons was performing surgery one floor above the scene where the shooting unfolded.

He told ABC News he completed the surgery and then sheltered in place.

When police came to clear the building floor by floor, Simons said he was told to put his hands up to verify that he was not the shooter.

“Then they escorted us all down the stairs,” he said.

-ABC News’ Janice McDonald

May 03, 2:58 PM EDT

Carjacking may be connected to shooting

As Atlanta police search for the suspected gunman, 24-year-old Deion Patterson, they say a car was stolen “not long after the shooting” and remains missing.

“We are working to locate the carjacked vehicle and to determine whether it is connected to the shooting,” police said.

May 03, 2:31 PM EDT

Doctor saw officers swarm his building

Dr. Ahmed Ali, a radiation oncologist at the building, told ABC Atlanta affiliate WSB that he was returning from his lunch break when he saw armed officers swam the scene.

“I was worried what was happening,” he said. “Building security … they told me gunshots were coming from the 11th floor. They said there was a pool of blood in the elevator shafts when the doors opened.”

-ABC News’ Ivan Pereira

May 03, 2:30 PM EDT

3 critically injured, 1 remains in ER

Of the four people who were shot and injured, three are in critical condition and one is in the emergency department, according to hospital officials.

All four are adults, officials said.

May 03, 2:02 PM EDT

1 dead, 4 injured

One person was killed and four were injured in the shooting at Laureate Medical Center in Atlanta, according to police.

“Officers are actively searching for the suspect and any other victims,” police said.

Northside Hospital tweeted that it’s “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.”