A police officer was killed when a gunman opened fire near the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) headquarters and the Emory University campus in Atlanta on Friday afternoon, according to authorities.
Patrick Joseph White, 30, of Kennesaw, Georgia, has been identified as the suspected shooter in the incident, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. He died during the incident.
The Atlanta Police Department said the suspect was found dead from a gunshot wound, which may have been self-inflicted. No civilians were shot in the incident, police said.
More than a day after the shooting, authorities have not yet provided a possible motive for the shooting.
“There is extensive evidence to collect due to the complex scene. Numerous interviews are being conducted. This investigation will take an extended period of time,” GBI said in a statement.
The officer who was killed, DeKalb County Police Officer David Rose, was fatally shot after responding to the reported gunfire.
He was taken to the hospital in critical condition where he was pronounced dead, officials said at a press conference Friday evening.
“Officer Rose served DeKalb County with courage, integrity, and unwavering dedication. Even in the face of danger was he diligent in his duty to protect our community,” the police department said in a statement posted online late Friday night.
At the earlier press conference, Lorraine Cochran-Johnson, DeKalb County CEO, said it was a “dark day” for the county. The officer leaves behind a wife, who is pregnant, and two children, she said.
The gunfire broke out at 4:50 p.m., prompting a shelter-in-place order at the university and a lockdown at the CDC headquarters.
Responding DeKalb County police officers located the suspect on the second floor of the Emory Point CVS Pharmacy across the street from the CDC building and attempted to engage the person when gunfire was exchanged, police said.
During the shooting, the suspect fired multiple rounds at CDC buildings, breaking windows, Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said during an earlier press conference
In a video call with employees on Saturday morning, CDC Director Dr. Susan Monarez shared her concern for the staff and said she wanted to let them know they are supported by the agency. She shared few details about the extent of the damage to the CDC campus or the ongoing investigation into the shooting. While the shooter fired at CDC buildings, she said law enforcement has not yet confirmed a motive.
In an letter emailed to CDC staff on Saturday, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy said the shooting was “a reminder of the very human challenges public servants sometimes face — even in places dedicated to healing and progress.”
In a statement on X, Kennedy said, “We know how shaken our public health colleagues feel today. No one should face violence while working to protect the health of others. 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.”
There were 92 children at a day care center on the CDC campus at the time, who were unharmed, police added.
In the aftermath of the shooting, four other people were transported to an area hospital for stress and anxiety-related reasons, the police chief said.
Shortly after the shooting was reported, a shelter-in-place order was put in place on the Emory University campus and later lifted. “RUN. HIDE. FIGHT. Avoid the area,” the university said in an alert Friday afternoon.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp released a statement on X thanking first responders for rushing “toward the danger to subdue the shooter and save lives.”
“We ask that you join us in holding them in our prayers, along with those harmed this evening near the CDC Center,” Kemp wrote.
FBI Atlanta and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation are investigating the incident.
Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr released a statement Friday, saying, “We’re horrified by the news out of Emory University and praying for the safety of the entire campus community.”