Suspect at large after shooting man inside crowded Decatur Library, police say

The victim was struck and remains in critical condition, while the suspect, identified as 44-year-old Medicus Brown, ran out of the building and remains at large, Bender said.

Bender said he had never seen a shooting inside the library, which “shocks the conscience when they happen.”

“Everybody should be able to go to the library or any public building for that matter, in Decatur or anywhere else, and be safe from violence like this,” he said. “What I can say is our officers did a phenomenal job in responding tonight and securing the scene and making sure that everybody was safe and getting the victim the care that he needed.”

Credit: David Aaro

Credit: David Aaro

Police were called around 5:10 p.m. to the library on Sycamore Street and immediately cleared the building, Bender said. Officers then found the victim suffering from a gunshot wound in the computer room. The man, whose name has not been released, was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the individual who was injured, his family and all those affected, including our library employees and patrons who were present and are understandably shaken by this incident,” DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson said in a statement.

Officers remained at the scene during the investigation and took several undisclosed items as evidence, Bender said. He said the fight stemmed from an argument, but those details were “still up in question.”

The building is located in the heart of the city near the Decatur Recreation Center and Decatur Square.

Brown, of Decatur, will be facing charges of aggravated assault with the intent of murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, police said. His warrants are pending, Bender said.

“Detectives are working on leads with the suspect right now,” Bender added. “They’re following up on that actively as we speak, so hopefully some information will be forthcoming.”

In a statement, DeKalb Public Library Director Alison Weissinger said the safety and well-being of their “staff and patrons” remained their top priority. The library will remain closed Tuesday.

“We are taking the necessary steps to support our employees and to ensure appropriate safety measures are in place as the investigation continues,” Weissinger added.

Anyone with more information is asked to contact police at 404-373-6551.