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Global News
a day ago
- Health
- Global News
CDC shooter blamed COVID vaccine for depression; union demands statement against misinformation
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 shooting, 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. View image in full screen A bullet hole is visible in the door of a CVS pharmacy on Saturday, August 9, 2025, near where police say a man was shooting at the headquarters of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. Jeff Amy/ The Associated Press 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. Story continues below advertisement 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: An attack on a prominent public health institution 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 former Marine who served in Afghanistan, had graduated from the police academy in March. 2:20 CDC shooting: Officer killed in shooting near Atlanta's Emory University 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.' Story continues below advertisement The Georgia Bureau of Investigations said the crime scene was 'complex' and the investigation would take 'an extended period of time.' Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy CDC union calls for condemnation of vaccine misinformation and tighter security The American Federation of Government Employees, Local 2883, said the CDC and 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.' 2:10 RFK Jr. cancels $500M in mRNA vaccine funding Kennedy reached out to staff on Saturday, saying 'no one should face violence while working to protect the health of others.' Story continues below advertisement Thousands of people who work on critical disease research are employed on the campus. The union 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. Story continues below advertisement Shooter had fixation on COVID-19 vaccine 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.'
Economic Times
3 days ago
- Economic Times
Emory University Shooting: Where is active shooter? Here's all details about heavy gunfire heard in Atlanta
AP Police secure the area near Emory University and the CDC headquarters after an active shooter incident in Atlanta. Bullet holes are visible on the CDC building's windows. Emergency vehicles line up near Emory University and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters in Atlanta on Friday, Aug. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeff Amy) An active shooter alert was issued at Emory University in Atlanta on Friday, prompting lockdowns and emergency response. The incident also impacted the nearby Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) headquarters, where bullet damage was reported. Police and emergency services responded quickly to secure the university issued an urgent message on X warning of an active shooter near Emory Point. The message included the instructions 'RUN. HIDE. FIGHT.' and urged students and staff to shelter in place. The shooting location was identified near the Emory Point CVS pharmacy. The Atlanta Police Department confirmed they were responding to reports of an active shooter near 1760 Clifton Road, close to the CVS mentioned in the alert. Social media videos captured rapid bursts of gunfire. In one recording, eight gunshots were heard, followed by a pause and then more than a dozen shots in quick succession. Also Read: Wednesday Season 3: Expected release date, cast members, guest stars, new faces, possible plot, what to expect and episode count predictions The CDC headquarters, located next to Emory University, sustained visible bullet damage. Photos posted online showed multiple bullet holes in the building's windows. A police cruiser was also struck by about a dozen bullets to its windshield and hood. Images from the scene showed a man lying on a stretcher beside an ambulance, surrounded by law enforcement officers. It is not confirmed whether the person was the suspected shooter. Fox 5 Atlanta reported that one police officer was shot near the Read: Battlefield 6 Beta: Open weekends dates, schedule, platforms, game modes, map rotations, trailer, how to get early access codes and how to join Emory University, Emory University Hospital, and surrounding businesses went into lockdown. A deli near the campus locked its doors, and staff took cover inside. Brandy Giraldo, Chief Operating Officer at General Miurs, told the Associated Press that staff heard a string of Representative Mike Collins posted on X urging students to take cover and expressed hope for a quick resolution. The incident remains under investigation, and the full circumstances, including the shooter's identity and motive, have not yet been confirmed. What happened at Emory University during the active shooter incident? An active shooter was reported near Emory Point, prompting lockdowns at Emory University and nearby facilities. Gunfire struck the CDC headquarters and a police cruiser. Police responded and secured the area. Was anyone injured during the Emory University shooting? One police officer was reportedly shot near the campus. Photos also showed a man on a stretcher, though authorities have not confirmed if he was the shooter or another victim.
Toronto Star
4 days ago
- Politics
- Toronto Star
A top Republican in the Georgia governor's race is suing his rival over campaign financing
By Jeff Amy The Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — One of the top Republicans running for Georgia governor on Thursday sued the other leading GOP candidate, challenging the legality of the rival's campaign funding. Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr sued Lt. Gov. Burt Jones in federal court in Atlanta, asking a judge to permanently cut off Jones' ability to spend money from Jones' leadership committee, a special fundraising vehicle that allows Georgia's governor, lieutenant governor and legislative leaders to raise unlimited funds.
Toronto Star
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Toronto Star
Republican Chris Carr raises $1.25M more for 2026 Georgia governor bid
FILE - Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr, center, speaks to a delegate at the Georgia Republican Convention in Dalton, Ga., Friday, June 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeff Amy, File) flag wire: true flag sponsored: false article_type: : sWebsitePrimaryPublication : publications/toronto_star bHasMigratedAvatar : false :
Japan Today
11-06-2025
- Health
- Japan Today
Hundreds of laid-off CDC employees are being reinstated
FILE - A sign stands at an entrance to the main campus of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia, Feb. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeff Amy, File) By MIKE STOBBE More than 460 laid-off employees at the nation's top public health agency received notices Wednesday that they are being reinstated, according to a union representing the workers. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services confirmed reinstatement notices went out to the former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention employees, but provided few details. About 2,400 CDC employees lost their jobs in a wave of cuts across federal health agencies in early April, according to a tally at the time. Whole CDC programs were essentially shut down, including some focused on smoking, lead poisoning, gun violence, asthma and air quality, and workplace safety and health. The entire office that handles Freedom of Information Act requests was shuttered. Infectious disease programs took a hit, too, including programs that fight outbreaks in other countries, labs focused on HIV and hepatitis in the U.S., and staff trying to eliminate tuberculosis. An estimated 200 of the reinstated workers are based in the CDC's National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and Tuberculosis Prevention, HHS officials confirmed. Staffers at a CDC lab that does testing for sexually transmitted diseases are being brought back, said one CDC employee who wasn't authorized to discuss what happened and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. Also reinstated are an estimated 150 employees at the CDC's National Center for Environmental Health, including people staffing a lab that works on lead poisoning, according to the union and employees. Layoffs at federal agencies were challenged in lawsuits, with judges in some cases ordering federal agencies to halt terminations of employees. Officials at HHS have never detailed how they made the layoff decisions in the first place. And they did not answer questions about why the notices went out, or how decisions were made about who to bring back. HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon said the agency was streamlining operations and that 'the nation's critical public health functions remain intact and effective.' "The Trump Administration is committed to protecting essential services — whether it's supporting coal miners and firefighters through NIOSH, safeguarding public health through lead prevention, or researching and tracking the most prevalent communicable diseases,' he said. This is not the first time that employees at the Atlanta-based agency were told they were being terminated only to then be told to come back. After an earlier round of termination notices went out in February, about 180 CDC employees in March were told to come back. © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
