Officer killed in attack near Emory University leaves behind growing family
He was a father with a growing family and a DeKalb County police officer before a gunman opened fire near Emory University and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters in Atlanta.
The officer was the sole casualty of the attack on Aug. 8 that ended with the suspected gunman found dead on the second story of a building housing a CVS. The shooter died at the scene from a gunshot wound. It was unclear if it came from officers or was self-inflicted.
DeKalb County officials said the officer died responding to the attack. They did not release his name but revealed a few details.
"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. "There is a mother and father as well as siblings who also share in this traumatic loss."
The shooter's motive and target remained unclear late Friday, Aug. 8. Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said he "fired at law enforcement and potentially the CDC."
Officials did not release the shooter's name but Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said that he was a "white male and he's a person known to have interest in some certain things."
Emory officials first announced there was an "active shooter" at the CVS store on campus around 4:30 p.m. local time and urged people to "RUN, HIDE, FIGHT. Avoid the area." University officials lifted the shelter in place order at about 6:30 p.m. and Atlanta authorities confirmed shortly after that the shooter had been killed.
DeKalb officer gave his life to serve others
Dekalb County Police Chief Gregory Padrick said the name and photograph of the officer who died in the attack on Aug. 8 would be released later.
He described the officer's actions as the culmination of a career of service.
"This officer responded to the call as he did, as he was trained to do, and during that incident he received gunfire and he lost his life in this incident. He was committed to serving the community," Padrick said. "It's a noble profession we all do. We answer the call to serve our community and he gave his life with a commitment to serve others."
The chief added: "He should be respected for that."
Officer killed was 13th from DeKalb police to die by gunfire
The officer killed on Aug. 8 is the 13th DeKalb County officer to die in the line of duty from gunfire, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page, a public database dedicated to paying tribute to officers killed on the job.
Officer Edgar Isidro Flores was the last DeKalb officer to be killed by gunfire, according to Officer Down. He was 24 years old when he was fatally shot while conducting a traffic stop in December 2018, according to Officer Down and Fox 5 Atlanta.
Sergeant Daniel Marcus Mobley was the most recent to die, according to Officer Down. He was performing a traffic stop and was fatally struck by a driver in 2021, Fox 5 reported.
How many officers are killed nationwide?
The officer killed on Aug. 8 near Emory University is among scores of law enforcement officers who die in the line of duty each year.
Officer Didarul Islam of the New York City Police Department was killed on Monday, July 28, in a shooting at a Manhattan skyscraper. The gunman left four dead, including Islam, and five wounded, before turning the gun on himself, authorities said.
Hundreds honored the downed NYPD officer in a service on July 31.
Last year, 64 law enforcement officers were killed in line-of-duty incidents, a 6.6% increase from 2023, according to data collected by the FBI.
'Deranged criminals' target Georgians, governor says
The DeKalb officer's death came only a day after another mass shooter in Georgia injured five soldiers at Fort Stewart in Liberty County. A fellow soldier carried out the rampage Aug. 7.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp lamented the second shooting in as many days in the Peach State.
"Twice this week, deranged criminals have targeted innocent Georgians," Kemp said in a statement. "Each time, brave first responders rushed toward the danger to subdue the shooter and save lives, reminding us of just how crucial they are."
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