The suspected gunman in the shooting of a police officer at the headquarters of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta on Friday has been identified as Patrick Joseph White of Kennesaw, Georgia.
White was killed along with Officer David Rose of the DeKalb County Police Department during the shooting near Emory University, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) said on Saturday.
Images posted online showed windows of CDC buildings that appear to have been hit by gunfire.
Authorities have not yet publicly stated the motive in the incident, but law enforcement officials reportedly told the New York Times that White blamed the coronavirus vaccine for his ill health, suggesting the CDC may have been the target.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said during a Friday press conference that the suspect was known to have “some interests in certain things” that he could not reiterate with “confidence until the investigation is fully conducted.”
Read more: U.S. Surgeon General Declares Firearm Violence a Public Health Crisis
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he was “deeply saddened” by the shooting.
“We know how shaken our public health colleagues feel today. No one should face violence while working to protect the health of others,” Kennedy wrote on X. “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.”
Here’s what to know about the shooting.
What happened?
The local 911 center received notice of an active shooter around 4:50 p.m. at a CVS location on Clifton Road, across the street from the CDC and near the Emory University campus, said Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum at a Friday press conference. Officers who arrived on scene found an injured police officer, but could still hear gunfire happening inside the pharmacy.
Police then located the injured gunman on the second floor of the building. It is still unclear whether he had been injured by self-inflicted gunshot wounds or the result of a shootout with police. The suspect died at the scene.
The CDC campus received multiple rounds of gunshots, impacting four campus buildings in the attack. Photos of the inside of a CDC building shared by CNN show windows partially shattered by bullet holes.
Friday’s shooting marks the second in Atlanta this week after an Army sergeant opened fire at his post. Five of the shooter’s coworkers were injured in the incident.
White, the identified shooter, lives in a suburb around 30 miles northwest of the scene of the crime.
An unidentified official told the New York Times that the shooter’s father had reported him to authorities as suicidal earlier on Friday. The same official reportedly said White was fixated on the COVID-19 vaccine and blamed it for problems with his health.
Authorities indicated that they are still collecting evidence “due to the complex scene” and are conducting interviews. “This investigation will take an extended period of time,” GBI said in a Saturday statement.
Who is David Rose?
Authorities identified 33-year-old David Rose as the victim of the shooting. Rose is survived by his wife, two children, and another on the way, according to DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson.
“He was committed to serving the community. At this time we are asking for the community’s prayers,” said DeKalb County Police Department interim chief Greg Padrick. “It’s a noble profession we all do. We answer the call to serve our community and he gave his life to a commitment to serve others.”
“Pray for the family, friends, and colleagues of this hero who acted quickly to defend others and made the ultimate sacrifice,” FBI Director Kash Patel said on X following the news of Rose’s passing. “The FBI will offer them our full support.”
