On the afternoon of August 8, 2025, a sense of safety was shattered at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. Patrick Joseph White, a 30-year-old resident of Kennesaw, opened fire with a long gun and several other firearms, leaving behind a trail of bullet holes, panic, and profound loss. The attack, which claimed the life of DeKalb County Police Officer David Rose, has ignited urgent questions about security, mental health, and the consequences of rising distrust in science and public institutions.
The events unfolded rapidly. According to the Associated Press, White first attempted to enter the CDC’s sprawling campus but was stopped by security guards. Frustrated, he drove to a pharmacy across the street and began shooting dozens of rounds at the CDC buildings. The attack left at least four buildings with shattered windows and forced thousands of CDC employees and nearby Emory University staff into lockdown for hours. Officer David Rose, responding to the emergency, was mortally wounded in the line of duty. No one else was physically harmed, but the psychological toll was immediate—four people sought treatment at local emergency rooms for anxiety symptoms in the aftermath.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation identified White as the shooter. Authorities recovered a long gun and three other firearms at the scene. White died on the second floor of a building across from the CDC campus, but Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum told reporters that it remains unclear whether his death was self-inflicted or the result of police action.
As the investigation unfolded, details about White’s motives emerged. His father contacted police, telling them his son had become increasingly depressed and suicidal, blaming the COVID-19 vaccine for his mental state. The father also explained that White had recently been upset over the death of his dog. As reported by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, neighbors described White as a “good guy” who often helped with yard work and walked dogs for others, but who repeatedly expressed a deep distrust of COVID-19 vaccines. Nancy Hoalst, a neighbor, said, “He was very unsettled, and he very deeply believed that vaccines hurt him and were hurting other people. He emphatically believed that.” Yet, she added, “I had no idea he thought he would take it out on the CDC.”
The CDC campus, a hub for critical disease research, was left scarred by the attack. Images shared on social media showed bullet-pocked windows across several buildings. Director Susan Monarez confirmed on X (formerly Twitter) that at least four buildings had been struck. In the immediate aftermath, CDC leadership urged staff to work from home or take leave on August 11, acknowledging the trauma and disruption caused by the shooting. According to a conference call recording obtained by the AP, some staff expressed feeling like “sitting ducks” during the lockdown, and leaders promised a full security assessment. The CDC’s security office also asked employees to remove old parking decals from their vehicles, a move aimed at reducing their visibility as CDC staffers and minimizing the risk of further targeting.
The human cost of the attack was most acute for the family of Officer David Rose. Rose, 33, was a former Marine who served in Afghanistan and had only recently graduated from the police academy in March 2025. DeKalb County officials described him as someone who “quickly earned the respect of his colleagues for his dedication, courage and professionalism.” County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson spoke to the depth of the loss: “This evening, there is a wife without a husband. There are three children, one unborn, without a father.” The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, among others, paid tribute to Rose’s service, calling his death “a solemn reminder of the risks the men and women of law enforcement face every day to protect and serve.”
While the shooting was an act of individual violence, it has also become a flashpoint in a broader debate about the climate surrounding public health institutions. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose skepticism of vaccines has been a defining feature of his public life, issued a statement expressing support for CDC employees: “We are deeply saddened by the tragic shooting at CDC’s Atlanta campus that took the life of officer David Rose. We know how shaken our public health colleagues feel today. No one should face violence while working to protect the health of others.”
Yet, Kennedy’s words were met with sharp criticism from some corners. A group of laid-off CDC employees, Fired But Fighting, accused Kennedy of helping to foster the very hostility that led to the attack. In a statement, the group said, “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.” They also called for the resignation of Russell Vought, referencing a video in which Vought said, “We want the bureaucrats to be traumatically affected. When they wake up in the morning, we want them to not want to go to work, because they are increasingly viewed as the villains.”
These criticisms are rooted in a period of upheaval for the CDC. The agency has faced significant layoffs—nearly 2,000 employees under Kennedy’s leadership—and funding cuts, with President Donald Trump proposing to halve the CDC’s budget next year and shift some of its functions to a new Administration for a Healthy America. “Save the CDC” signs now dot Atlanta’s neighborhoods, and uncertainty has become a way of life for many public health workers.
The shooting has reignited debates about the impact of political rhetoric and misinformation on public trust and safety. According to The Associated Press, White’s fixation on vaccine-related conspiracies was well known to those around him, and his father’s warning to police underscores the tragic consequences of untreated mental health issues compounded by misinformation. The CDC’s own staff have voiced concerns about being targeted, both physically and rhetorically, as the agency navigates not only scientific challenges but also an increasingly hostile political environment.
For the Atlanta community, the events of August 8, 2025, are a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities facing even the most secure institutions. As Sam Atkins, a local resident, told the AP, “This is an everyday thing that happens here in Georgia.” The community’s resilience, however, remains visible in the tributes to Officer Rose, the solidarity among CDC staff, and the calls for renewed attention to both security and the truth in public discourse.
In the days following the shooting, CDC leadership and law enforcement continue to investigate, assess security, and support those impacted. The scars—physical and emotional—will take time to heal, but the determination of those dedicated to public health and public service endures, even in the face of tragedy.