Atlanta, Georgia - Law enforcement officers (LEO) in Atlanta are searching for the gunman who shot five people, killing one, at a hospital in Midtown before stealing a car and departing from the scene.

The suspect, whom LEO have identified as 24-year-old former Coast Guardsman Deion Patterson, is thought to have left the building and carjacked a nearby vehicle, Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said at a news conference on Wednesday.

Patterson is said to have shot five women between the ages of 25 and 71 years old. One of the victims, a 39-year-old woman, died as a result of her injuries.

Multiple victims were undergoing surgery at Grady Memorial Hospital – the city's only Level 1 trauma center – in downtown Atlanta. Three of the patients are in critical condition, according to Dr. Robert Jansen, the chief medical officer at Grady Health System.

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The suspect is still at large, though CNN reported that police believe he may be near Truist Park according to license plate readers.

"We are working diligently to bring this individual into custody," the police chief added.

The Coast Guard reportedly released a statement of their own on Wednesday, noting that Patterson "entered the Coast Guard in July 2018 and last served as an Electrician’s Mate Second Class," adding that he was "discharged from active duty in January 2023."

"Our deepest sympathies are with the victims and their families,” the Coast Guard's statement concluded.

Earlier, the Atlanta Police Department released photos showing the suspected shooter wearing a hoodie, and continue to ask people with information about the suspect's whereabouts to call 911.