CDC employee killed in Northside Medical Midtown shooting
The tragedy reinforces the challenges healthcare employees are facing, Alabama Hospital Association president tells WFSA.
Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum speaks a press conference with Mayor Andre Dickens (R) following a shooting in Midtown Atlanta.
Photo: Megan Varner/Getty Images
A 38-year old woman was killed Wednesday and four others wounded after a gunman opened fire at the Northside Medical Midtown in Atlanta, according to multiple reports.
The woman killed, Amy St. Pierre worked for the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The "CDC is deeply saddened by the unexpected loss of a colleague killed today in the Midtown Atlanta shooting. Our hearts are with her family, friends, and colleagues as they remember her and grieve this tragic loss." said Benjamin N. Haynes, director of the Division of Media Relations, in an email to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The alleged gunman, Deion Patterson, 24, was taken into custody after an eight-hour manhunt. The suspect went inside Northside Medical Midtown just before noon and shot the first victim shortly after, according to Atlanta Police Deputy Chief Charles Hampton. He used a handgun in the attack before fleeing on foot and hijacking a vehicle, according to CNN.
The tragedy reinforces the challenges healthcare employees are facing, Dr. Don Williamson, president of the Alabama Hospital Association, told WFSA12.
"It reinforces, however, the challenge that employees are now facing in hospitals where violence is certainly not unknown," Williamson said.
Medical staff must train for these difficult situations to protect themselves and the patients they care for, which can sometimes be tricky, he said.
"You've got people in hospital beds, and they may not be mobile," Williamson said.
Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra released this statement: "Last night, we learned the tragic news that Amy St. Pierre, an HHS colleague at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was the victim of a senseless shooting in Atlanta, Georgia. Our hearts go out to her husband Julian St. Pierre, her children, and all her loved ones at this difficult time. Amy had been a public servant at CDC for several years and exemplified the values of our agency – her work focusing on improving maternal health. We are all still trying to process this heart-breaking news. But there is no escaping that gun violence is tearing the American family apart and has become a public health crisis."
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the rate of injuries from violent attacks against medical professionals grew by 63% from 2011 to 2018. Aggression against staff escalated as the COVID-19 pandemic intensified in 2020, the report said.
A survey by the National Nurses United showed that almost half, 48%, of the more than 2,000 responding nurses reported an increase in workplace violence -- more than double the percentage from a year earlier, according to the AAMC, the Association of American Medical Colleges.
A collaboration between the American Hospital Association and the International Association for Healthcare Security and Safety has recommended action steps for hospital leaders to build a safer workplace, including greater data collection, collective accountability, and ongoing education and training.
Twitter: @SusanJMorse
Email the writer: SMorse@himss.org
