A man opened fire on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday, killing a police officer who tried to stop him, authorities said.
CDC Director Susan Monarez confirmed that at least four buildings at the Atlanta-based public health agency had been struck in the shooting, which began shortly before 5 p.m.
A DeKalb County police officer who responded to the scene was critically injured and later died at Emory University Hospital, police said.
The shooter was found on the second floor of a CVS across the street from the CDC. Police said he had been struck by gunfire but could not say if it was from an officer or self-inflicted. He died at the scene.
The incident prompted a lockdown on the Emory University campus and the CDC.
A post on X from the school’s Office of Critical Event Preparedness and Response alerted students and staff of an “active shooter” at the Emory Point CVS just after 5 p.m.
Those nearby were directed to run, hide and fight.
Here’s the latest:
CVS where suspect was found by law enforcement remains closed
At least two bullet holes pierced through a CVS door at Emory Point where 30-year-old Patrick Joseph White was found inside by officials Friday evening.
The store was closed Saturday morning, and a sign was posted stating, “Store closed until further notice.”
White, the accused shooter, was found on the second floor of the CVS. He had been struck by gunfire and died at the scene.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has reached out to CVS for a statement.
‘Just looking at him, you knew he was special,’ DeKalb CEO says of officer David Rose
DeKalb County police officer David Rose was a standout member of his police academy class who knew the Emory University community well because his mother worked at the hospital, the county’s chief executive said in an interview Saturday.
“His mother was an ICU nurse at Emory University for 17 years,” said DeKalb CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson, who spoke with Rose’s wife and mother at Emory University Hospital after Rose was shot and taken there on Friday.
“This young man, as a kid, literally grew up in the Emory community — walking the halls of the hospital,” Cochran-Johnson said, adding that his mother is convinced that he responded to the call because he knew the area so well.
“That young man has been answering the call all of his life,” Cochran-Johnson said, adding, “His mom continually said he was always the first to help, that he’s just been such a good kid all of his life.”
Cochran-Johnson added that Rose graduated from the police academy in March and she remembers him vividly.
“He was a part of the first class that I addressed as CEO,” said Cochran-Johnson, who took office in January. “Just looking at him, you knew he was special.”
GBI collected evidence from outside CVS near CDC
Directly outside the CVS at Emory Point, authorities with the GBI placed numerous evidence markers on the sidewalk Friday evening after a deadly shooting that caused damage to buildings belonging to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The shooter, identified by the GBI as 30-year-old Patrick Joseph White of Kennesaw, was found on the second floor of the CVS.
Officials said he had been struck by gunfire but could not say if it was from an officer or self-inflicted. He died at the scene.
DeKalb police officer David Rose died from injuries sustained while responding to the shooting.
The CVS, located on the corner of Emory Point Drive and Clifton Road, is across the street from the CDC and near Emory University.
‘You’ll know more about this individual,’ Atlanta mayor says about suspect
“He is a known person that might have some interest in certain things that I can’t reiterate right now with any confidence until the investigation is fully conducted,” Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said Friday night about the suspect before his identity was released.
By Saturday morning, the GBI identified him as Patrick Joseph White, 30, of Kennesaw.
“I think, in a short order, you’ll know more about this individual and about some assumption of his motives, but can’t say right now,” Dickens said.
DeKalb commissioner reacts to officer’s death
Officer David Rose’s death leaves the community heartbroken, DeKalb Super District 6 Commissioner Ted Terry said in a statement.
Rose was a 33-year-old father of two, with another baby on the way, officials said.
“It is a devastating and dark night knowing that this hero gave his life to protect and serve,” he said. “We, as a community, are heartbroken, and I share my deepest condolences to the family, the DeKalb County Police Department, fellow first responders, and the citizens of DeKalb County. Today, this hit home for many. We hear tragic stories every day and we always try to process why.”
Terry said the incident has renewed his commitment to fight for gun safety.
“Every senseless death is a tragedy and shatters not only the circle of loved ones, but sense of security, faith in the world around us, and impacts how we view others,” he said.
“Elected officials, stakeholders, faith based leaders, and members of the community must join together as one voice and one effort to advocate for change, no matter the party or position on constitutional rights you have, but to prioritize the safety and the holistic care of people. “
Suspect in Emory University, CDC shooting identified
The suspect accused in Friday’s shooting near Emory University and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been identified by the GBI as Patrick Joseph White, 30, of Kennesaw.
A motive was not released.
Officer killed in Emory shooting joined DeKalb Police last year
David Rose, the 33-year-old DeKalb County Police Officer shot and killed while responding to an active shooter near the campuses of Emory University and the CDC, had recently joined the police department.
In a statement, DeKalb Police said Rose joined the department in September 2024 and worked on the North Central Precinct. He responded to the scene on Friday and was later rushed to Emory University Hospital, where he died of his injuries.
Georgia P.O.S.T. records show Rose was previously employed by the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office as a jailer from August 2021 to September 2021 before he voluntarily resigned.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said Rose had previously served in the U.S. Marines before joining the DeKalb Police department.
Relieved parents reunited with children from CDC daycare
Teary-eyed parents clung to their young children late Friday after hours spent waiting for them to be released from lockdown at a CDC daycare center.
Ninety-two children were at the center when a gunman opened fire in the area a little before 5 p.m.
Nearly five hours later, the children were transported by bus to the nearby Clifton School, where their parents were waiting in the parking lot.
While the parents were anxious, some of the kids seemed excited by the new mode of transportation they’d just experienced.
“I rode on the bus!” one exclaimed.
Varun Rawat was reunited with his 2-year-old daughter but was deeply frustrated by how authorities had handled the process
“What is this if not incompetence?” he asked.
Rawat argued that once the area was cleared of danger, parents should have been permitted to enter the school to pick up their children, many of whom were only a few years old.
Instead, authorities chose to put the students on Emory University buses, a ride that Rawat described as an “unsafe distance in unsafe conditions.”
Officer killed in Emory shooting identified
The DeKalb County Police Officer shot and killed on Friday responding to the active shooter near the campus of Emory University and the CDC has been identified as 33-year-old David Rose, a husband and father of two daughters, with a son on the way.
Rose graduated from the DeKalb Police Academy in March and had previously served in the U.S. Marines before joining the department, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said in a statement.
“Officer Rose bravely responded to the active shooter incident on Emory’s campus and lost his life while protecting so many others,” Dickens said.
Rose responded to the scene on Friday and was later rushed to Emory University Hospital where he died of his injuries.
“Officer Rose served DeKalb County with courage, integrity, and unwavering dedication. Even in the face of danger was he diligent in his duty to protect our community,” the DeKalb Police department said in a statement.
Dickens offered his condolences to Rose’s family, friends and colleagues at the DeKalb County Police Department.
“Officer Rose’s passing is a stark reminder that every day, law enforcement officers put themselves in harm’s way to protect others, and this dedication deserves our respect and gratitude,” Dickens said.
Buses full of day care center children arrive at reunification site
Just before 10 p.m., about 80 people waited anxiously under street lights for their children to arrive from the day care center near the shooting site.
The center had arranged for the families to be reunited at the Clifton School. A bus pulled up with small children inside, and parents walked toward it.
Police told parents that four buses would transport their children. Parents walked by the bus windows, peering in to see if their child was inside. Some waved at their kids as the bus slowly drove further down the street.
