Everything we know about the fatal shooting near CDC headquarters
CDC Director Susan Monarez said Friday night that the agency is working with federal, state, and local authorities on the investigation.
'We at CDC are heartbroken by today's attack on our Roybal Campus, which remains on lockdown as authorities investigate the shooting,' Monarez said in a statement. 'A courageous local law enforcement officer gave their life, and another was injured, after a gunman opened fire on at least four CDC buildings.
Political climate
The shooting comes amid an already tumultuous time for CDC staff. Hundreds of agency employees received termination notices in April, and some got sporadically rehired . The Trump administration also has proposed slashing the agency's budget by roughly half .
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has repeatedly raised concerns over the safety of the Covid-19 vaccine. Since being sworn in in February, the agency has stopped recommending the vaccine for pregnant people and to narrow the recommendations for healthy children.
Kennedy said earlier this week that HHS would halt $500 million in funding for mRNA research , the technology that was used to create the first Covid-19 vaccines, citing safety concerns. The planned cancellation of contracts includes work with Emory University and Tiba Biotech. Proposals from Pfizer, Sanofi Pasteur, CSL Seqirus, Gritstone and others will also be rejected, according to HHS.
Many public health experts pushed back on that decision, arguing that the technology is safe and a key tool for responding to future pandemics.
One CDC official, granted anonymity to speak candidly, told POLITICO they were disappointed that neither Kennedy or President Donald Trump have publicly spoken about the shooting. On X, Kennedy reposted a statement from Monarez about the incident.
'As you might imagine, there is a lot of fear and anger among agency staff right now,' the official said.
An HHS spokesperson said that Kennedy plans to address the incident Saturday morning.
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CBS News
38 minutes ago
- CBS News
CDC gunman had become fixated on his distrust for COVID-19 vaccines, authorities say
A Georgia man who had blamed the COVID-19 vaccine for making him depressed and suicidal has been identified as the shooter who opened fire late Friday on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters, killing a police officer. The 30-year-old suspect, who died during the incident, had also tried to get into the CDC's headquarters in Atlanta but was stopped by guards before driving to a pharmacy across the street and opening fire, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press on Saturday. The man, identified as Patrick Joseph White, was armed with five guns, including at least one long gun, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the investigation. A union representing workers at the CDC said the incident was not random and "compounds months of mistreatment, neglect, and vilification that CDC staff have endured." It demanded federal officials condemn vaccine misinformation, saying it was putting scientists at risk. Here's what to know about the shooting and the continuing investigation. Police say White opened fire outside the CDC headquarters in Atlanta on Friday, leaving bullet marks in windows across the sprawling campus. At least four CDC buildings were hit, Director Susan Monarez said on X. DeKalb County Police Officer David Rose was mortally wounded while responding. Rose, 33, a Marine veteran who served in Afghanistan, had graduated from the police academy in March. White was found on the second floor of a building across the street from the CDC campus and died at the scene, Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said. He added that "we do not know at this time whether that was from officers or if it was self-inflicted." The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said the crime scene was "complex" and the investigation would take "an extended period of time." Thousands of people who work on critical disease research are employed on the CDC campus in Atlanta. The American Federation of Government Employees, Local 2883, said some staff were huddled in various buildings until late at night, including more than 90 young children who were locked down inside the CDC's Clifton School. The union said CDC staff should not be required to immediately return to work after experiencing such a traumatic event. In a statement released Saturday, it said windows and buildings should first be fixed and made "completely secure." "Staff should not be required to work next to bullet holes," the union said. "Forcing a return under these conditions risks re-traumatizing staff by exposing them to the reminders of the horrific shooting they endured." The union also called for "perimeter security on all campuses" until the investigation is fully completed and shared with staff. A virtual meeting with CDC employees took place Saturday to try to reassure staffers after the shooting, CBS News confirmed. One CDC employee, who was not authorized to speak publicly and was on the call, talked to CBS News under the condition of anonymity. The employee said leadership at the agency told staff they believed that their office was the target of Friday's gunfire. Employees will work remotely on Monday as campus security is assessed, the person said. The union has called on the CDC and the leadership of the Department of Health and Human Services must provide a "clear and unequivocal stance in condemning vaccine disinformation." Such a public statement by federal officials is needed to help prevent violence against scientists, the union said in a news release. "Their leadership is critical in reinforcing public trust and ensuring that accurate, science-based information prevails," the union said. Fired But Fighting, a group of laid-off CDC employees, has said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 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." Kennedy reached out to staff on Saturday, saying "no one should face violence while working to protect the health of others." White's father, who contacted police and identified his son as the possible shooter, said White had been upset over the death of his dog and also had become fixated on the COVID-19 vaccine, according to the law enforcement official. A neighbor of White told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that White "seemed like a good guy" but spoke with her multiple times about his distrust of COVID-19 vaccines in unrelated conversations. "He was very unsettled, and he very deeply believed that vaccines hurt him and were hurting other people," Nancy Hoalst, told the Atlanta newspaper. "He emphatically believed that." But Hoalst said she never believed White would be violent: "I had no idea he thought he would take it out on the CDC." Several of White's neighbors told CBS News that he was outspokenly against vaccines, and a law enforcement source said authorities were looking into the possibility that the gunman believed the COVID-19 vaccines made him sick.
Politico
40 minutes ago
- Politico
Trump's former surgeon general blasts Kennedy for 'tepid' response to CDC shootings
'It took him over 18 hours to issue a tepid response to these horrific shootings, and that's not even considering how his inflammatory rhetoric in the past have actually contributed to a lot of what's been going on,' said Adams, who served during President Donald Trump's first term. A spokesperson for HHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Adams's fury comes after a gunman opened fire at the CDC's Atlanta headquarters on Friday, killing one police officer and repeatedly striking CDC buildings. The 30-year-old shooter reportedly blamed the Covid-19 vaccine for making him depressed and suicidal. Under Kennedy's leadership, the agency has stopped recommending the vaccine for pregnant people and has narrowed the recommendations for healthy children. Kennedy has previously voiced skepticism for vaccines including the Covid vaccine. Last week, he announced that HHS would halt $500 million in funding for mRNA research, the technology used to create some of the Covid-19 vaccines. Kennedy cited safety concerns as the reason behind the decision; critics said that concern was unfounded. On Saturday, the secretary extended condolences to the family of slain Officer David Rose and other CDC workers affected by the shooting. 'No one should face violence while working to protect the health of others,' Kennedy said in a post to social media. 'We honor their service. We stand with them. And we remain united in our mission to protect and improve the health of every American.' But Adams said that Kennedy's own rhetoric about the CDC — including his description of the agency as a 'cesspool of corruption' — may have played a role in influencing the shooter's actions. 'He made this statement just last year,' Adams said. 'And he still has not unequivocally condemned the violence. He said no one should be harmed while working to protect the public. There's an out there, Margaret. If you don't believe that people are working to protect the public, then that means it's OK to commit violence, at least in some people's eyes.'
Los Angeles Times
2 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
CDC shooter blamed COVID vaccine for depression. Union demands statement against misinformation
As authorities identified the shooter in the deadly attack on CDC headquarters as a Georgia man who blamed the COVID-19 vaccine for making him depressed and suicidal, a union representing workers at the agency is demanding that federal officials condemn vaccine misinformation, saying it was putting scientists at risk. The union said that Friday's shooting at the Atlanta offices of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which left a police officer dead, was not a random incident and that it 'compounds months of mistreatment, neglect, and vilification that CDC staff have endured.' The American Federation of Government Employees, Local 2883, said the CDC and leadership of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services must provide a 'clear and unequivocal stance in condemning vaccine disinformation.' The 30-year-old gunman, who died during the event, had also tried to get into the CDC's headquarters in Atlanta but was stopped by guards before driving to a pharmacy across the street and opening fire, a law enforcement official told the Associated Press on Saturday. The man, identified as Patrick Joseph White, was armed with five guns, including at least one long gun, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the investigation. Here's what to know about the shooting and the continuing investigation: Police say White opened fire outside the CDC headquarters in Atlanta on Friday, leaving bullet marks in windows across the sprawling campus. At least four CDC buildings were hit, agency Director Susan Monarez said on X. DeKalb County Police Officer David Rose was mortally wounded while responding. Rose, 33, a former Marine who served in Afghanistan, had graduated from the police academy in March. White was found on the second floor of a building across the street from the CDC campus and died at the scene, Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said. 'We do not know at this time whether that was from officers or if it was self-inflicted,' he said. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said the crime scene was 'complex' and the investigation would take 'an extended period of time.' The American Federation of Government Employees, Local 2883, is calling for a statement condemning vaccine misinformation from the Department of Health and Human Services. The agency is led by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who rose to public prominence on healthcare issues as a leading vaccine skeptic, sometimes advancing false information. A public statement by federal officials condemning misinformation is needed to help prevent violence against scientists, the union said in a news release. 'Their leadership is critical in reinforcing public trust and ensuring that accurate, science-based information prevails,' the union said. Fired But Fighting, a group of laid-off CDC employees, has said Kennedy is directly responsible for the villainization of the CDC's workforce through 'his continuous lies about science and vaccine safety, which have fueled a climate of hostility and mistrust.' Kennedy reached out to staff on Saturday, saying that 'no one should face violence while working to protect the health of others.' Thousands of people who work on critical disease research are employed on the campus. The union said some staff members were huddled in various buildings until late at night, including more than 90 young children who were locked down inside the CDC's Clifton School. The union said CDC staff should not be required to immediately return to work after experiencing such a traumatic event. In a statement released Saturday, it said windows and buildings should first be fixed and made 'completely secure.' 'Staff should not be required to work next to bullet holes,' the union said. 'Forcing a return under these conditions risks re-traumatizing staff by exposing them to the reminders of the horrific shooting they endured.' The union also called for 'perimeter security on all campuses' until the investigation is fully completed and shared with staff. White's father, who contacted police and identified his son as the possible shooter, said White had been upset over the death of his dog and had become fixated on the COVID-19 vaccine, according to a law enforcement official. A neighbor of White told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that White 'seemed like a good guy' but spoke with her multiple times about his distrust of COVID-19 vaccines in unrelated conversations. 'He was very unsettled, and he very deeply believed that vaccines hurt him and were hurting other people,' Nancy Hoalst told the newspaper. 'He emphatically believed that.' But Hoalst said she never believed White would be violent: 'I had no idea he thought he would take it out on the CDC.' Haigh writes for the Associated Press.
