Police capture suspect in Atlanta medical practice shooting

A man opened fire in the waiting room of a medical facility in Atlanta killing one woman and wounding four others. The 24-year-old man suspected of being involved in the shooting has been arrested after an hours-long manhunt. 

Deion Patterson was taken into custody at Cobb County shortly after noon-- the suspect had fled after the shooting. 

According to Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum, the police reported to the scene after they received a call of shots fired on the 11th floor of Northside Hospital's Midtown location on Wednesday afternoon. 

Patterson, who had an appointment at the medical facility, after shooting in the waiting area, went to a nearby gas station on foot, where he commandeered a pickup truck, which was left unattended. The police later located the pick-up truck. 

Several law enforcement agencies including Atlanta and Cobb County police, the FBI and US Secret Service were involved in the search. The search for the shooter involved several tip-offs from people in the neighbourhood and Patterson's family.

License plate-surveilling cameras and other technology were instrumental in the search, USA Today reported. 

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens applauded the fact that Patterson was arrested and taken into custody alive so he can be prosecuted.

Right now, we've had a successful end to a traumatic day, Dickens said, while also advocating for tougher gun laws and stressing the importance of police training. 

--With PTI inputs