Suspected CDC shooter blamed COVID-19 vaccine for depression

Officials have released more details about the man that police say opened fire at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) campus on Friday, Aug. 8. Authorities said the suspect killed an officer before he later died.

Investigators identified the shooter as 30-year-old Patrick Joseph White from Georgia. According to law enforcement, White claimed the COVID-19 vaccine made him sick and depressed. However, officials haven’t said if that was his motive.

How the shooting unfolded

The incident occurred on Friday around 4:50 p.m. ET. Police said White attempted to enter the CDC headquarters in Atlanta, but guards stopped him.

Minutes later, he drove to a pharmacy across the street and started shooting. CDC Director Susan Monarez said the suspect shot at at least four CDC buildings during the incident.

Law enforcement said White shot and killed one police officer and injured another.

The shooter died at the scene, but law enforcement has not released how the suspect was killed. The shooting remains under investigation. 

Police officer killed

David Rose, 33, was identified as the officer killed in the shooting. Rose was a Marine veteran who served in Afghanistan and just graduated from the police academy in March.

He originally joined the department in September 2024 and worked at the North Central Precinct. According to 11Alive News, he left behind a wife, two children and a third on the way.

Response to the shooting

A union group that represents CDC workers, the American Federation of Government Employees, Local 2883, issued a statement following the shooting. In part, it said, “The deliberate targeting of CDC through this violent act is deeply disturbing, completely unacceptable and an attack on every public servant.”

The union also responded to law enforcement’s statement, saying White blamed the COVID-19 vaccine for his depression.

“Early reports indicate the gunman was motivated by vaccine disinformation, which continues to pose a dangerous threat to public health and safety,” it said.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. also responded to the shooting, posting to social media his condolences.

“We know how shaken our public health colleagues feel today. No one should face violence while working to protect the health of others,” Kennedy said. ” We are actively supporting CDC staff on the ground and across the agency. Public health workers show up every day with purpose — even in moments of grief and uncertainty.”