Atlanta was rocked by tragedy on the afternoon of August 8, 2025, when gunfire erupted near the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) headquarters and the Emory University campus. What began as a typical summer Friday quickly spiraled into chaos, leaving a DeKalb County police officer dead, a community in mourning, and many searching for answers about what drove a lone gunman to open fire on one of the nation’s premier public health institutions.
Authorities say the ordeal began around 4:50 p.m., when 911 calls flooded in reporting an active shooter at 1600 Clifton Road—immediately in front of the CDC’s Roybal Campus. According to Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum, responding officers arrived to find a critically injured DeKalb County officer, who was rushed to Grady Memorial Hospital. Despite the efforts of medical staff, he was later pronounced dead. The officer, whose name has not been released, leaves behind a pregnant wife and two young children. "This evening, there is a wife without a husband. There are three children, one unborn, without a father," DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson said with visible emotion at a press conference, as reported by NBC News.
While the officer’s family and the broader law enforcement community grappled with the loss, police continued their pursuit of the shooter. Schierbaum recounted that officers could still hear gunfire echoing from inside a CVS pharmacy across from the CDC building. They quickly moved in, locating the suspect on the second floor. The gunman was found dead from gunshot wounds. Authorities have not yet determined whether those wounds were self-inflicted or the result of police fire. For now, they describe the incident as involving a single shooter, and officials assured the public that no ongoing threat remained.
Remarkably, despite the hail of bullets that shattered windows and left visible bullet holes in at least four CDC buildings, no civilians were physically harmed. Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens confirmed, “There were 92 children at a day care center on the CDC campus, who are all safe.” The children were reunited with their families at a nearby school, a relief for parents and the entire Atlanta community. Four other people were transported to area hospitals for stress and anxiety-related symptoms, but none suffered gunshot wounds.
Emory University, just steps from the CDC, acted quickly, issuing an emergency alert at 5 p.m. that read: “Active shooter on Emory Atlanta Campus at Emory Point CVS. RUN, HIDE, FIGHT. Avoid the area.” For more than an hour, students, staff, and nearby residents were told to shelter in place, a period marked by confusion and fear. As one university employee told NBC affiliate WXIA, “It was saying there was an active shooter and that we needed to, you know, hide. Find somewhere safe. Immediately, I just go into the nearest building I can.” The lockdown was lifted around 6:30 p.m., but the sense of unease lingered well into the evening.
The CDC’s Roybal Campus remained on lockdown as law enforcement combed the scene for evidence and clues about the shooter’s motive. In a statement posted to X, CDC Director Dr. Susan Monarez expressed the agency’s collective grief: “We at CDC are heartbroken by today’s attack on our Roybal Campus, which remains on lockdown as authorities investigate the shooting. Our top priority is the safety and well-being of everyone at CDC. We are actively coordinating with federal, state, and local partners to fully investigate the shooter and this tragic crime.” Monarez, who had only recently been confirmed as CDC director, added, “A courageous local law enforcement officer gave their life, and another was injured, after a gunman opened fire on at least four CDC buildings.”
Investigators are still piecing together what led to the violence. According to CNN, police are exploring a theory that the gunman was either sick or believed he was sick and blamed the Covid-19 vaccine for his condition. An employee at the CDC told the network he saw a man approach the agency’s headquarters and begin shooting at the building. Staff at a nearby deli described the sound of gunfire as “like fireworks going off, one right after the other.” Still, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens cautioned that the investigation is in its early stages, stating, “He is a known person that may have some interests in certain things, that I can’t reiterate right now with any confidence until the investigation is fully conducted. But I think in short order you’ll know more about this individual and some assumptions about his motives, but I can’t say right now.”
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is leading the probe, with support from the FBI and local authorities. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, who noted that this was the second mass shooting in the state in a single week, thanked first responders for their bravery. “Twice this week, deranged criminals have targeted innocent Georgians. Each time, brave first responders rushed toward the danger to subdue the shooter and save lives, reminding us of just how crucial they are,” Kemp posted on social media. Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr called the incident “horrifying” and pledged his office’s support to law enforcement.
As the investigation continues, Atlanta’s leaders are calling for a broader reckoning with gun violence. Mayor Dickens reflected, “Mass shootings, active shooter scenarios should not become the norm. We have a number of individuals in this country that have access to high-powered weapons. And for individuals with these high-powered weapons that may have mental challenges, or those individuals with high-powered weapons and are angry when they choose to use those weapons in a way that harms multiple people—we have to put an end to that in our society.”
For now, the community mourns the loss of a dedicated officer and grapples with the unsettling reality that even institutions devoted to public health and healing are not immune to violence. The CDC’s campus, a symbol of scientific progress and national resilience, will bear the scars of this attack for some time. But as the lockdowns lift and families are reunited, Atlanta’s resolve to seek answers—and perhaps change—remains undimmed.