Atlanta: Police hunt for suspected gunman after one dead and four hurt in hospital shooting

One person has been killed and four have been injured during a shooting at a hospital in Atlanta on Wednesday.

Police are searching for the suspected gunman, 24-year-old Deion Patterson, who police believe is "armed and dangerous", the Associated Press reports.

No additional shots were fired after the initial attack, inside a Northside Medical building, on West Peachtree Street - a commercial area with many office towers and high-rise apartments.

Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum told reporters that a 39-year-old woman was pronounced dead at the scene.

The four injured victims were also women, aged 25, 39, 56 and 71 and they were all taken to a hospital for treatment.

More than two hours after the shooting, police said they had no information to suggest Mr Patterson was still in the area.

People have been told to stay away due to the active investigation.

Police released a photo of Mr Patterson showing his face and asked anyone with information about his whereabouts to call 911 and urged the public not to approach him.

Crime Stoppers was offering a reward of up to $10,000 (£7,960) for information leading to the arrest and indictment of the suspect.

In the photos, the suspect was wearing dark trousers and a light-coloured hoodie with the hood pulled up.

He had a mask on and appeared to be wearing a bag across his front.

Atlanta police said they are aware of a car being stolen not long after the shooting, a few streets away.

They said the vehicle has been recovered in suburban Cobb County, and they were working to determine whether it was connected to the shooting.

Dozens of armed police and fire vehicles swarmed West Peachtree Street, as more officers continued to arrive well over an hour after the shooting.

Many officers clustered outside the front entrance of the Northside Medical building.

Multiple helicopters hovered overhead while police tried to keep traffic moving on nearby streets.

The shooting comes as cities around the US have been wracked by gun violence and mass shootings in 2023.

There have been 190 mass shootings in the country so far in 2023, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

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