CDC Shooter Believed COVID Vaccine Drove Him to Suicide, Father Told Police

A 30-year-old Georgia man who opened fire on the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) headquarters in Atlanta — killing a police officer and spraying dozens of bullets into the complex — had blamed the COVID-19 vaccine for making him depressed and suicidal, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press.

The gunman, identified by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation as Patrick Joseph White, tried to enter the CDC campus on Friday but was stopped by security. He then drove to a nearby pharmacy and began shooting, armed with five guns, including at least one long gun. DeKalb County Police Officer David Rose, 33, was fatally wounded while responding.

Authorities say White’s father had warned police after recognizing his son as the possible shooter. White, from Kennesaw, Georgia, had reportedly become fixated on COVID-19 vaccines and was distraught over the death of his dog.

The attack left bullet holes in at least four CDC buildings and forced employees into lockdown for hours. Staff were advised to work from home on Monday as security reviews get underway.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., a longtime vaccine skeptic, expressed sympathy for CDC staff, but some current and former employees accused him of fostering the hostility that led to the attack. Under Kennedy’s tenure, the CDC has faced deep budget cuts, mass layoffs, and what critics say is a sustained campaign undermining public trust in vaccines.

Rose, a former Marine and recent police academy graduate, leaves behind a wife, three children — one unborn — and a grieving department.

CDC leaders, citing fears of future targeting, urged employees to remove old agency decals from their vehicles and promised a full security review.