Minyone Patterson, Northside Hospital, Midtown Atlanta shooting suspect Deion Patterson’s mother, said that her son opened fire after he received “messed up medication.”

Minyone Patterson told The Daily Beast: “The damn VA gave him some messed up medication. And all he wanted was an Ativan.”

Also Read | Serbia school shooting suspect, 13, who killed 8 children, will not be criminally charged, father detained

She is cooperating with police as they search for her 24-year-old son, who shot and killed 1 person and injured multiple at the Northside Medical Building in Atlanta.

After identifying the suspect, police said that he has had ‘minimal’ prior run-ins with them. “DO NOT approach him. He is considered Armed and Dangerous,” the department tweeted.

Also read: Tori Bowie: Net worth, age, relationship, career, family and more

Police, in a press conference after the shooting, said that Patterson was accompanied by his mother at the Northside Hospital Medical on Wednesday morning. He became enraged and pulled out a handgun, Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said.

Daily Beast reached his mother. However, Minyone did not elaborate further. Ativan is a benzodiazepine used to treat anxiety.

Also read: What is Lynx Owl? Photo of creature goes viral on social media

Patterson is still on the loose. Atlanta police, at 12:42 PM tweeted: “We are working an active shooter situation inside a building on West. Peachtree St, between 12th St and 13th St. We are aware of multiple people injured. No suspect is in custody. Anyone in the area is asked to secure their building and shelter in place. Anyone not in the area is asked to stay away. We will communicate via social media and our website with updates.”

The Coast Guard identified Patterson as a guardsman who enlisted in 2018. He, however, was discharged in January 2023. Surveillance photos showed that he was wearing dark pants and a gray hoodie. He had a mask on.