Atlanta was shaken late Friday afternoon as a gunman opened fire near the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) headquarters, killing a police officer and sending shockwaves through the city’s scientific and public health communities. The attack, which occurred just before 5 p.m. on August 8, 2025, unfolded as the workday was ending, catching many off guard and leaving the CDC’s main campus in turmoil.
Authorities quickly identified the shooter as Patrick Joseph White, a 30-year-old resident of Kennesaw, Georgia, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. White opened fire from across the street, targeting the CDC’s Roybal Campus and nearby Emory University. The barrage left gaping bullet holes in the windows and walls of at least four CDC buildings, as reported by the Associated Press and Georgia Recorder. Bullet casings littered the sidewalk outside a CVS pharmacy, and images shared by CDC employees captured the aftermath—bullet-pocked windows in offices where thousands of scientists and staff work on critical disease research.
The chaos was immediate and widespread. Hundreds of CDC employees sheltered in place, many unable to leave for hours as investigators combed the scene for evidence and interviewed witnesses. More than 90 young children were present in a daycare center on the CDC campus during the attack; thankfully, police confirmed that none were harmed. Teachers worked into the evening to reunite anxious parents with their children at a nearby school, according to Georgia Recorder.
DeKalb County Police Officer David Rose, 33, responded to the scene and was mortally wounded in the line of duty. Rose, a former Marine who served in Afghanistan and had only graduated from the police academy in March, was rushed to Emory University Hospital but succumbed to his injuries. Interim Police Chief Greg Padrick noted Rose’s dedication and courage, stating, “He gave his life with a commitment to serve others, and he should be respected for that.” Rose leaves behind a wife and two children, with a third on the way, as DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson shared: “This evening, there is a wife without a husband. There are three children, one unborn, without a father.”
The gunman, Patrick White, died at the scene. Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum stated, “We do not know at this time whether that was from officers or if it was self-inflicted.” Law enforcement also recovered three additional firearms at the scene, according to an official who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity. Four people, though not physically injured, reported to emergency rooms with symptoms of anxiety following the shooting.
The attack prompted a massive law enforcement response, with the CDC campus and surrounding Emory Point mixed-use development placed on lockdown. Businesses shuttered, residents sheltered in place, and the usually bustling area became eerily quiet as authorities responded to the crisis. CDC Director Susan Monarez addressed the incident in a statement: “We at CDC are heartbroken by today’s attack on our Roybal Campus, which remains on lockdown as authorities investigate the shooting. A courageous local law enforcement officer gave their life, and another was injured, after a gunman opened fire on at least four CDC buildings.”
In the aftermath, the CDC told its staff to work from home or take leave on Monday, August 11, to allow time for recovery and continued investigation. Director Monarez acknowledged the emotional toll, writing to staff that the shooting brought “fear, anger and worry to all of us.”
As the city grappled with the tragedy, public officials from across the political spectrum weighed in. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. issued a statement expressing sorrow: “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.” However, some laid-off CDC employees, already frustrated by funding cuts and political disputes over the agency’s mission, criticized Kennedy’s remarks. The advocacy group Fired but Fighting accused Kennedy of contributing to a climate of hostility toward the CDC, stating, “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.”
Georgia’s two U.S. senators, Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, expressed condolences to Rose’s family and gratitude to all law enforcement and medical personnel involved. Warnock, reflecting on his recent support for CDC workers, said, “Earlier this year, I stood where this shooting occurred, rallying for fired CDC employees who work tirelessly to protect our public health and national security. CDC workers are our friends, our colleagues, and our neighbors. I will always have the backs of Georgia’s dedicated public health workers.”
The shooting reignited heated debates over gun safety and state policy. State Rep. Jasmine Clark, a microbiology professor at Emory and congressional candidate, called for legislative action: “As a professor at Emory University, and a parent, I am horrified that this took place in a place where I recently stood with CDC protesters, next to a day care center full of small children, and just weeks before thousands of students are set to return for the first day of classes. The Legislature could do so much with the political courage and political will to fight gun violence.”
Georgia Democrats, including State Sen. Elena Parent, have vowed to renew efforts for stricter gun regulations when lawmakers reconvene in January. Parent argued, “The availability of guns has endangered the lives of thousands of people at the CDC and Emory, which is exactly why I have fought so hard for gun reform. Unfortunately, Republicans have been an obstacle as they endanger our communities by passing laws to make guns more prevalent and deadly in the state of Georgia.”
On the other side, Republican leaders emphasized the heroism of first responders. Governor Brian Kemp posted on social media, “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. Marty, the girls, and I are thankful for all those who answer the call to serve and who protect their fellow Georgians. We ask that you join us in holding them in our prayers, along with those harmed this evening near the CDC Center.”
Neighbors and acquaintances of Patrick White described him as someone who “very deeply believed that vaccines hurt him and were hurting other people,” according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. One neighbor, Nancy Hoalst, recalled, “He was very unsettled and he very deeply believed that vaccines hurt him and were hurting other people. He emphatically believed that. I had no idea he thought he would take it out on the CDC.”
This tragedy comes amid a wave of high-profile shootings in Georgia, including a recent attack at Fort Stewart and last year’s deadly incident at Apalachee High School. Community members like Sam Atkins of Stone Mountain voiced a weary resignation: “This is an everyday thing that happens here in Georgia.”
As Atlanta mourns the loss of Officer David Rose and reckons with the trauma inflicted on one of the nation’s leading public health institutions, the debate over gun safety, mental health, and the treatment of frontline workers is sure to intensify. For now, the city’s focus remains on healing—and on honoring those who ran toward danger to protect others.