Authorities say the man who opened fire outside the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) headquarters in Georgia last Friday was angry about COVID-19 vaccines. The shooting left one police officer dead.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) said Tuesday, Aug. 12, that the shooter, 30-year-old Patrick Joseph White, had written documents showing his frustration with the vaccines. These papers were found at the home he shared with his parents.
GBI Director Chris Hosey said White wanted to “make the public aware” of his anger. Investigators believe he used one of his father’s guns, which he took from a locked safe.
On Aug. 8, security guards stopped White from entering the CDC campus near Emory University. He then drove to a CVS across the street and began shooting at the CDC building. Investigators found at least 500 shell casings, meaning he fired over 180 shots with a long gun. White died from a self-inflicted gunshot before police reached him.
The attack killed Dekalb County Police Officer David Rose, 33, a father of two with another child on the way. “There is a wife without a husband and three children without a father,” said Dekalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson. No civilians were hurt.
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White’s parents are cooperating with investigators.
The shooting has sparked debate about misinformation on COVID-19 and vaccines. Critics have pointed to President Donald Trump and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for spreading false claims about the virus in recent years.
CDC Director Dr. Susan Monarez addressed staff Tuesday, warning about the dangers of misinformation. “We know that misinformation can be dangerous—not only to health, but to the trust people have in us,” she said. “We must meet challenges with rational, evidence-based discussion and compassion. That is how we will lead.”
