Suspect in deadly 2023 Atlanta shooting is deemed not competent to stand trial

ATLANTA (AP) — The man charged with murder in a 2023 shooting in Atlanta that claimed the life of one woman and left four others wounded is not competent to stand trial, a judge has ruled.

A Fulton County judge ruled Tuesday that Deion Patterson is not capable of understanding the charges against him or helping his lawyers to defend him, WSB-TV reported. Patterson will receive behavioral health care, and another hearing will be held in three months to see whether his situation has changed.

Patterson was charged with one count of murder and four counts of aggravated assault in May 2023. Police say he opened fire in the waiting room of an Atlanta medical practice. He was captured hours later in Cobb County, just northwest of Atlanta

Killed in the attack was 38-year-old Amy St. Pierre, who worked for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC officials said she had been conducting ground-breaking research aimed at reducing pregnancy-related deaths.