ATLANTA (BN24) — A Georgia man who opened fire on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention campus Friday, killing a police officer and firing dozens of rounds into four buildings, had blamed a Covid-19 vaccine for causing his depression and suicidal thoughts, a law enforcement official said Saturday.
Patrick Joseph White, 30, was identified by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation as the gunman who attempted to enter CDC headquarters before being stopped by security guards and subsequently driving across the street to a CVS pharmacy where he continued his deadly assault. White died during Friday’s violence.
The shooting claimed the life of DeKalb County Police Officer David Rose, 33, a husband and father of two daughters with a son on the way. Rose, who joined the police force in September after serving in the U.S. Marines, responded to reports of gunfire near the CDC campus and was later pronounced dead at Emory University Hospital.
A law enforcement official told the Associated Press that White’s father had contacted police, explaining that his son was upset about his dog’s death and had become fixated on the Covid-19 vaccine. One of White’s neighbors told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he “very deeply believed that vaccines hurt him and were hurting other people.”
The attack began shortly before 5 p.m. Friday when White, wearing a surgical mask and armed with two handguns, a rifle, and a shotgun, opened fire on the CDC campus near Emory University. Officials said he was carrying two backpacks filled with ammunition during the assault.
White was found dead on the second floor of the pharmacy building after the shooting concluded. Authorities have not disclosed whether he was killed by police gunfire or took his own life during the confrontation.
CDC Director Susan Monarez confirmed that at least four buildings at the public health agency sustained damage from the gunfire. Crime scene investigators later discovered more than 40 bullet holes across multiple CDC buildings, with Building 21, which houses the director’s office, receiving much of the gunfire.
“The active shooter incident near our campus today has understandably brought fear, anger and worry to all of us,” Monarez said in a message to CDC employees. “I want to express my deep appreciation for your professionalism and resilience during this time.”
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. posted condolences online Saturday, stating, “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.”
However, Kennedy’s expression of sympathy drew sharp criticism from a group of former CDC employees who were terminated by the Trump administration. The group, called Fired but Fighting, rejected Kennedy’s statement and accused him of contributing to the hostile climate that led to the attack.
“Kennedy is directly responsible for the villainization of CDC’s workforce through his continuous lies about science and vaccine safety, which have fueled a climate of hostility and mistrust,” the group said in a statement. “We don’t need thoughts and prayers. We need an administration that does not villainize federal workers who are just trying to do their job.”
Kennedy, an avowed vaccine skeptic, recently ordered budget cuts for mRNA vaccine development and directed the termination of 22 vaccine development investments through the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority. He claimed the vaccines “fail to protect effectively against upper respiratory infections like Covid and flu,” despite scientific evidence that Covid vaccines have saved millions of lives.
Atlanta police Chief Darin Schierbaum said his department received the active shooter call at approximately 4:50 p.m. and arrived to find Rose critically injured. DeKalb County Interim Police Chief Greg Padrick described Rose as someone who “was committed to serving the community” and requested prayers for his family and the police department.
FBI Director Kash Patel called Rose a hero who “made the ultimate sacrifice,” writing on social media, “Pray for the family, friends, and colleagues of this hero who acted quickly to defend others and made the ultimate sacrifice.”
Neighbors described White as having appeared “noticeably” slimmer recently and being vocally opposed to vaccines, though they characterized him as generally “pleasant” and not typically political. Atlanta’s 11 Alive reported that White’s father had alerted law enforcement before the shooting that he believed his son was suicidal.
The attack occurred amid rising threats against healthcare professionals nationwide. A recent survey by National Nurses United found that 48 percent of more than 2,000 responding nurses reported increased workplace violence.
The incident follows the December assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on a Manhattan street. Suspect Luigi Mangione, who is awaiting trial, reportedly left evidence suggesting anger toward the health insurance industry motivated the killing.
The CDC shooting highlights the dangerous intersection of vaccine misinformation and violence against public health institutions, occurring at a time when federal health agencies face increasing scrutiny and hostility from vaccine skeptics and conspiracy theorists.
