Gunman Threatens CDC Employees

On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) headquarters in Atlanta came under fire from a shooter at adjacent Emory University. One first responder, DeKalb County Police Officer David Rose, was killed. At least four CDC buildings were hit, CDC Director Susan Monarez said on X.

CNN reported that the shooting began slightly before 5 p.m. at the Emory Point CVS drugstore, directly across from the main entrance to the CDC. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation identified Patrick Joseph White, 30, a resident of the Atlanta suburb Kennesaw, as the shooter. The gunman was found dead on the second floor of the CVS store. 

The investigation into what led to the shooting is ongoing, but sources told CNN the shooter may have targeted the CDC over personal health concerns he blamed on the Covid-19 vaccine. On X, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime critic of COVID-19 vaccinations with a history of spreading vaccine misinformation said:

“We are deeply saddened by the tragic shooting at CDC’s Atlanta campus that took the life of officer David Rose. We stand with his wife and three children and the entire CDC family.

We know how shaken our public health colleagues feel today. No one should face violence while working to protect the health of others.

We are actively supporting CDC staff on the ground and across the agency. Public health workers show up every day with purpose — even in moments of grief and uncertainty.

We honor their service. We stand with them. And we remain united in our mission to protect and improve the health of every American.”