Georgia authorities identify suspect in CDC shooting as a 30-year-old man from suburban Atlanta
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has identified the man who opened fire at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as 30-year-old Patrick Joseph White of Kennesaw, Georgia.
See authorities give an update in the video above
The GBI statement says White died and Officer David Rose with the DeKalb County Police Department was shot and killed during the shooting Friday.
The shooter opened fire outside the CDC headquarters, striking windows across the sprawling campus and killing the officer before he was found dead in a nearby building, authorities said. The attack prompted a massive law enforcement response to one of the nation's most prominent public health institutions, but no one else was reported to be injured.
At least four CDC buildings were hit, Director Susan Monarez said in a post on X. Images shared by employees showed multiple agency buildings with bullet-pocked windows, underscoring the breadth of the damage to a site where thousands of scientists and staff work on critical disease research.
The gunman 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 Friday that "we do not know at this time whether that was from officers or if it was self-inflicted."
The shooter was armed with a long gun, and authorities recovered three other firearms at the scene, according to a law enforcement official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation.
The gunman's motive is still unknown this early in the investigation, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said Friday.
A voicemail left at a phone number listed for White in public records was not immediately returned Saturday morning.
Rose, 33, was a former Marine who served in Afghanistan and graduated from the police academy in March and "quickly earned the respect of his colleagues for his dedication, courage and professionalism," DeKalb County said in a statement.
"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.
Video below: What seems to be gunshots can be heard in a video captured near the scene. It shows officers outside of a building that houses a CVS.
The gunman’s motive is still unknown this early in the investigation, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said.
Video below: Dekalb County police chief announces that officer died
\Officer David Rose was killed in the gunfire, the DeKalb County Police Department said in a Facebook post. Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said in a statement that Rose served in the Marine Corps and graduated from the DeKalb Police Academy in March, .
DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson struck at the emotions of the loss.
“This evening, there is a wife without a husband. There are three children, one unborn, without a father,” Cochran-Johnson said.
Video below: Hear the county CEO's statements
When the shooting began, staff at a nearby restaurant hunkered down and said they heard a string of gunshots. “It sounded like fireworks going off, one right after the other,” said Brandy Giraldo, the chief operating officer of The General Muir restaurant.
She then saw people running past her business. Two people paused to warn them of a shooter nearby.
When Anurag Mehta and his wife heard about the shooting, they tried to get to their 3-year-old son in a preschool near the CDC, but they were unable to approach.
“I was thinking that when I left for work this morning, was that the last time I saw my son?” said Mehta, who later learned his son was safe.
Video below: Aerial footage shows authorities swarm area after reports of active shooter in Atlanta
No CDC employees or visitors were harmed, Monarez said.
“As we navigate the aftermath of this event, we want to express our eternal gratitude to law enforcement personnel who were injured and share our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the Dekalb County Police Officer who was killed in the line of duty,” she wrote in an email sent to employees.
Monarez said Monday would be a remote workday for all employees so the agency could conduct a security assessment before workers return to their offices. In her X post, she called the shooting an “attack on our Roybal Campus,” referring to the office complex.
The CDC and Emory's main campus are surrounded by affluent wooded neighborhoods in northeast Atlanta. All three institutions line up along Clifton Road. The area is hard to access, and notoriously traffic-choked, but on Friday few cars were in evidence as a warning siren blared.
Gov. Brian Kemp praised the efforts of first responders.
“Twice this week, deranged criminals have targeted innocent Georgians,” Kemp said, referring to the shooting at Fort Stewart as well as the CDC campus. “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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Associated Press writers Safiyah Riddle, Russ Bynum, Mike Stobbe, Alanna Durkin Richer and Jesse Bedayn contributed.