Man from suburban Atlanta, age 30, carried out assault on CDC headquarters with firearms
In a shocking turn of events, a shooting at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) headquarters in Atlanta left one officer mortally wounded and the community in shock. The gunman, identified as Patrick Joseph White, a 30-year-old man from Kennesaw, Georgia, reportedly harboured a grievance towards the COVID-19 vaccine.
Officer David Rose, a former Marine who served in Afghanistan, graduated from the police academy in March, and was respected by his colleagues for his dedication, courage, and professionalism, was the victim of the shooting. Rose leaves behind a wife and three children, one of whom is unborn.
White's neighbour, Nancy Hoalst, described him as a good guy but expressed concerns about his beliefs regarding vaccines. She stated that he spoke multiple times about his distrust of COVID-19 vaccines. Neighbours also noted that he expressed conspiracy-minded sentiments that the vaccine was harming people and that the government and media were hiding the truth.
The shooting left gaping bullet holes in windows and littered the sidewalk outside a CVS pharmacy with bullet casings. At least four CDC buildings were hit, and dozens of impacts were visible from outside the campus. Hundreds of CDC staffers sheltered in place during the shooting and many couldn't leave for hours afterward.
The Atlanta Police Chief, Darin Schierbaum, confirmed that the gunman died at the scene, but the cause of death is unknown, whether it was from officers or self-inflicted. The gunman was armed with a long gun, and authorities recovered three other firearms at the scene.
DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson expressed condolences for Rose's family, while Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy also expressed condolences for the shooting and stated that no one should face violence while working to protect the health of others.
The shooting comes at a time when CDC workers face uncertain futures due to funding cuts, layoffs, and political disputes over their agency's mission. Some laid-off employees rejected the expressions of solidarity made by Kennedy and called for his resignation.
The investigation into the shooting remains ongoing, and authorities have not officially confirmed the exact motive. However, sources close to the case and neighbours consistently report White's fixation on the vaccine as central to his anger and actions.
[1] NBC News [2] CNN [3] ABC News [4] The New York Times
- The shooting at the CDC headquarters in Atlanta, which left Officer David Rose dead, is now the focus of an ongoing investigation, with sources suggesting that the gunman, Patrick Joseph White, may have had a grievance related to COVID-19 vaccines.
- In an interview with a local news outlet, Nancy Hoalst, a neighbor of the shooter, described White as a good man but expressed concerns about his beliefs regarding vaccines, stating that he spoke multiple times about his distrust of COVID-19 vaccines.
- As the CDC faces uncertain futures due to funding cuts, layoffs, and political disputes, the shooting has highlighted the delicate balance between general-news reporting and the growing influence of climate, health, politics, crime-and-justice, and other issues on public opinion.
