Atlanta shooting: Man arrested after one killed and four taken to hospital

Authorities say at least four injured people were taken to hospital

Police and emergency workers gather in Atlanta’s city center after reports of a shooting inside a medical building. AP

At least one person was killed in a lunchtime shooting on Wednesday at a medical building in a busy area of Atlanta, and the suspected gunman was apprehended after a hours-long search, police said.

Authorities said that at least four people had been taken to hospital after the shooting.

Officers responded to calls about a shooter in the Midtown section of the city at midday, the Atlanta Police Department said in a tweet.

Authorities identified him as Deion Patterson, 24, a former US Coast Guard officer, and said during the search that he was armed and dangerous.

"Deion Patterson has been apprehended," the department said in a Facebook post on Wednesday evening.

Earlier, police posted four photographs of the suspect on Twitter. The photos showed a man in a doorway, his arm raised and pointing what appeared to be a handgun.

His target was not visible in the photos.

The suspect had a mask over his face and nose and was wearing a sweatshirt and carrying a brown backpack.

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

The four injured, all of whom were adults, were taken to Grady Memorial Hospital.

Three victims were in a critical condition and undergoing surgery while the fourth was being treated in the emergency room, the hospital's chief medical officer, Robert Jansen, told reporters.

About an hour after the shooting, a Swat team gathered near the High Art Museum, about 1.2km from the scene, according to a video posted on Twitter by a local CBS affiliate.

Atlanta Public Schools said several schools in the area operated on an external lockdown for the rest of the day as a precaution.

Agencies contributed to this report