Gunman Opens Fire at CDC Headquarters; Local Officer Killed, Property Damaged
A gunman opened fire against the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) headquarters in Atlanta, killing one police officer and causing significant property damage.
Police say 30-year-old Patrick Joseph White fired more than 180 shots at six CDC buildings in Atlanta just before 5pm on Friday, August 9. The suspect opened fire from across the street after he was stopped by security guards. The gunfire broke about 150 windows, with the bullets piercing the “blast-resistant” windows and spattering glass shards into numerous rooms.
Killed in the incident was 33-year-old DeKalb County Police Department Officer David Rose. The suspect later died but police have not said if he was shot or if he killed himself.
White had previously been reported to law enforcement for having suicidal thoughts. Police say that in writings, he blamed the COVID-19 vaccine for making him depressed and suicidal before he carried out the attack on the CDC using his father’s guns.
“The overall content of one of the documents was more of wanting to make the public aware of his distrust of the vaccines,” said Chris Hosey, director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. visited CDC headquarters and the DeKalb County Police Department to see the damage and meet with the widow of slain officer David Rose. He was accompanied by HHS Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill and CDC Director Susan Monarez.
“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,” said Secretary Kennedy.
However, the secretary was greeted by employee protesters across the street, who accuse the administration of spreading lies about the safety of vaccines.
“I have never worked on anything nefarious. We are public servants,” said Lauren Owens, a CDC scientist who joined the protest during her lunch break, holding a sign that read, “RFK Jr’s lies about vax safety + CDC scientists endanger us ALL.”
CDC Employees Worry About Safety
Most CDC employees assigned to the affected campus are teleworking for the week. HHS says additional safety and security measures are being put in place ahead of their return.
However, that’s not soothing nerves at the CDC. Some unionized CDC employees say they want more heavily armed guards, bulletproof glass, a better alarm system, and better evacuation planning for disabled employees and vulnerable staff.
And retired CDC official Stephan Monroe told the Associated Press that it could hurt recruitment, especially with young scientists.
“I’m concerned that this is going to be a generational hit,” said Monroe.