Shooting Near CDC Headquarters Highlights Rising Threats to Scientific Institutions

On August 8, 2025, a shooting near the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) headquarters in Atlanta resulted in the deaths of a police officer and the gunman, and caused significant damage to the CDC campus. The incident has intensified concerns about the safety of public health institutions amid rising hostility toward scientific organizations.

The assailant, identified as 30-year-old Patrick Joseph White from Kennesaw, Georgia, opened fire around 4:50 p.m. from a building in Emory Point, a mixed-use development near Emory University and the CDC. White fired nearly 200 rounds into the CDC campus, damaging multiple buildings and breaking approximately 150 windows. DeKalb County Police Officer David Rose, 33, was fatally shot while responding to the incident. White then barricaded himself inside a nearby CVS Pharmacy, where he was later found dead from a gunshot wound; authorities are investigating whether it was self-inflicted or resulted from police fire.

Officer Rose, a Marine Corps veteran and recent police academy graduate, is survived by his wife and three children, including one unborn. DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson expressed condolences, stating, "This evening, there is a wife without a husband. There are three children, one unborn, without a father."

Investigations revealed that White had no prior criminal record and had used firearms taken from his father's gun safe. Documents found at his residence expressed discontent with COVID-19 vaccinations, suggesting a possible motive. His father informed police that White blamed the COVID-19 vaccine for causing his depression and suicidal thoughts.

The attack has profoundly impacted the CDC and the broader public health community. CDC Director Dr. Susan Monarez stated, "Our top priority is the safety and well-being of everyone at CDC. We are actively coordinating with federal, state, and local partners to fully investigate the shooter and this tragic crime." Staff voiced anger, isolation, and concerns over the lack of public attention to the incident. Former CDC public health advisor Abigail Tighe shared, "We are scared to go to work, we are scared to send our children to childcare, and we are scared to work in the field of public health."

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has recently rolled back vaccine recommendations, toured the damaged site and condemned the violence. In a statement, he said, "We are deeply saddened by the tragic shooting at CDC's Atlanta campus that took the life of officer David Rose. We stand with his wife and three children and the entire CDC family." However, his response was criticized as "tepid" by former Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams, who stated that Kennedy Jr. must do more given his past "inflammatory rhetoric."

This incident underscores the escalating hostility toward scientific organizations and public health institutions. The attack serves as a stark warning: assaults on science and scientists endanger lives and threaten the foundation of public health. The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) expressed deep sorrow and unwavering support for the CDC, stating, "This senseless act of violence, which claimed the life of a responding officer and left staff shaken, underscores the growing hostility faced by public health professionals."

The CDC, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, is a federal agency under the Department of Health and Human Services, tasked with protecting public health and safety through the control and prevention of disease, injury, and disability. The attack has prompted a reassessment of security measures at public health facilities nationwide.

In the wake of the shooting, public health advocates have called for collective action to defend scientific integrity, support public health systems, and reject divisive, anti-science rhetoric. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the challenges faced by public health professionals and the need for a unified response to protect those dedicated to safeguarding public health.