Georgia police in the southeast United States arrested a suspect who allegedly opened fire, killing a woman and injuring four others at a medical facility in downtown Atlanta on Wednesday, then stole a car and fled the scene, according to authorities. .

The alleged assailant, identified by authorities as Dion Patterson, is a 24-year-old former Coast Guard officer. Authorities had previously described him as “armed and dangerous”. He was arrested just north of town, in Cobb County, hours after the attack on Northside Medical.

The Cobb County Sheriff’s Department announced the arrest on Twitter without giving details. The stolen car has been found.

The authorities recorded how all five victims the so-called mass shootings in the United States – attacks with the use of firearms that resulted in four or more victims, in the terminology of American law enforcement agencies – they were women. However, the police believe that it is too early to judge whether this was an intentional crime.

The young man went to the medical center with his mother. The woman was not hurt. According to the police, he is cooperating with the authorities.

The motive for the Atlanta attack is unclear, and little is known about the alleged assailant. The Coast Guard said he joined in July 2018 and was fired in January. He did not specify the reason for the dismissal.

According to the latest official data from the Centers for Disease Control, there are about 400 million guns in the US, in other words, more than people, and in 2020 they accounted for more than 45,000 deaths – homicides, accidents and suicides. and prevention (CDC).

Source: RES-IPE