CDC Shooting: Georgia Man Blames COVID-19 Vaccine, Attacks CDC Headquarters in Atlanta, Injuries None

A gunman launched an attack on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) headquarters in Atlanta on Friday, firing over 180 shots and shattering approximately 150 windows. The incident left numerous rooms littered with glass shards, as bullets penetrated “blast-resistant” windows.

The cleanup and window replacement process could take several weeks, if not months, according to CDC personnel.

On Friday evening, a Georgia resident, who believed the COVID-19 vaccine was responsible for his depression and suicidal tendencies, opened fire, resulting in the tragic death of a police officer. No CDC employees were harmed during the incident.

The assailant was stopped by CDC security personnel before he could proceed to a nearby pharmacy and continue his shooting spree later that afternoon. The details of this encounter have been shared anonymously with the Associated Press by a law enforcement official involved in the investigation. The perpetrator, identified as Patrick Joseph White, aged 30, later succumbed to his injuries, though authorities have yet to confirm whether he was killed by police or took his own life.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. visited the CDC campus on Monday, where he observed extensive damage, including broken windows across buildings, even at the main guard booth. Accompanying him were HHS Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill and CDC Director Susan Monarez, according to a department statement.

Kennedy also visited the DeKalb County Police Department and met with the police chief. He privately consoled the widow of the fallen officer, David Rose.

Monarez posted on social media Friday night that at least four CDC buildings were affected by the attack. The extent of the damage was further clarified during a weekend leadership meeting at the CDC. Two employees who attended the meeting and spoke anonymously due to lack of authorization to disclose information, confirmed details reported in an agency memo seen by an AP reporter.

Building 21, which houses Monarez’s office, sustained the most damage from gunfire. The CDC has not yet revealed whether her office was targeted.

CDC employees have been advised to work from home this week. In a statement, Kennedy expressed concern for the safety of his colleagues and pledged support. He remained silent during media interactions during his Monday visit.

In a call with the media on Monday night, some unionized CDC employees called for increased security measures such as heavily armed guards, bulletproof glass, improved alert systems, and more comprehensive evacuation plans for disabled employees and other vulnerable staff.

Retired CDC official Stephan Monroe expressed concern about the long-term impact this incident might have on young scientists’ willingness to work for the government. “I fear that this could mark a generational setback,” he said, speaking near a memorial dedicated to Rose.

Kennedy was a prominent figure in the anti-vaccine movement before being appointed to oversee federal health agencies by President Donald Trump. He has made false and misleading statements about the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines and other immunizations.

Public health experts, like Tim Young, a former CDC employee, believe that years of misinformation about vaccines have negatively affected people’s mental health and could lead to acts of violence.

Dr. Jerome Adams, the U.S. surgeon general during Trump’s first term, emphasized the importance of health leaders being mindful of their words. “We must understand that our audience is listening,” Adams said on CBS’s “Face the Nation” Sunday. “When we make unfounded claims about vaccine safety and efficacy, it can lead to unintended consequences.”

CDC employees are now taking precautions to minimize visibility, including avoiding wearing their public health service uniform at work. Yolanda Jacobs, president of Local 2883 of the American Federation of Government Employees, shared this information. She recalled a time when CDC employees were eager to engage with neighbors and others seeking public health advice. “Now, we’re worried about having those conversations with anyone because we don’t know who they are or what misinformation they’ve been exposed to,” she said.