A 30-year-old man from Georgia who blamed the COVID-19 vaccine for causing his depression and suicidal thoughts has been identified as the gunman in Friday’s deadly shooting at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) headquarters in Atlanta. The attack resulted in the death of a police officer.
The suspect, Patrick Joseph White, attempted to enter the CDC campus but was stopped by security personnel. He then drove to a nearby pharmacy and opened fire, according to a law enforcement official who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. White was armed with five firearms, including at least one long gun.
DeKalb County Police Officer David Rose, a 33-year-old former Marine who had recently graduated from the police academy, was fatally wounded responding to the incident. White was found deceased on the second floor of a building across from the CDC; officials have not confirmed whether his death was self-inflicted or caused by officers.
The shooting caused extensive damage, with bullet marks found across four CDC buildings on the sprawling Atlanta campus, according to CDC Director Susan Monarez.
The American Federation of Government Employees Local 2883, representing CDC workers, condemned the attack as a consequence of “months of mistreatment, neglect, and vilification” of CDC staff. The union urged federal leaders to publicly denounce vaccine misinformation, warning that such falsehoods are endangering public health scientists.
“The leadership must provide a clear, unequivocal stance condemning vaccine disinformation,” the union stated. “This is essential to protect staff and uphold public trust in science-based information.”
The union also called for increased security measures, including perimeter controls around CDC facilities, and recommended that employees should not return to work until the buildings are fully repaired and secure. Many staff, including over 90 children attending the CDC’s Clifton School, were locked down during the attack and remained in lockdown into the night.
Meanwhile, “Fired But Fighting,” a group of former CDC employees, blamed Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for fostering hostility toward CDC workers through “continuous misinformation” about vaccines and science. Kennedy responded by condemning the violence and affirming that no public health worker should face such threats.
White’s father alerted authorities that his son had been struggling emotionally after the death of his dog and had developed an intense fixation on the COVID-19 vaccine, believing it had harmed him. Neighbors described White as troubled by his vaccine distrust but did not anticipate violence.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigations characterized the crime scene as complex, cautioning that the investigation will require considerable time.
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