More details are emerging Monday surrounding the incident Friday where a man opened fire on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, killing a police officer, authorities said.
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U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. met Monday with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Susan Monarez as he toured the facility’s bullet-ridden offices, HHS said in an announcement.
CDC security officers led the tour and pointed out the damage across multiple buildings and the shattered windows in the guard booth. Kennedy then visited the DeKalb County Police Department and met with Interim Chief Greg Padrick. He later met privately with the widow of DeKalb Officer David Rose, “who courageously gave his life in the line of duty,” the announcement said.
“He offered his deepest condolences and reaffirmed the agency's commitment to honoring Officer Rose's bravery, sacrifice and service to the nation.”
The announcement reiterated Kennedy’s statement on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, that "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.”
The HHS statement continued, “HHS continues to support CDC personnel and their families. Most CDC personnel assigned to Roybal campus are teleworking this week and additional safety and security measures are being put in place ahead of their return.”
The CDC Foundation, an independent nonprofit created by Congress, launched a fundraiser to support the family of DeKalb County police Officer David Rose.
He leaves behind a wife and two children, plus a third on the way.
In a fundraising message, the foundation noted that Rose died Friday "while courageously protecting the CDC during a targeted shooting."
The post also says: "His bravery saved lives and prevented an even greater tragedy. This effort reflects the deep respect and gratitude CDC and the broader community hold for Officer Rose’s sacrifice."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told Atlanta-area workers to telework for the remainder of this week, according to an email obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The email, sent just before 11 p.m. Sunday by the CDC's Office of Safety, Security and Asset Management, said employees affected by Friday's lockdown at the Roybal campus "are granted administrative leave" through Monday.
The message added that metro Atlanta CDC staff "should telework for the remainder of the week" through Friday. The agency made an exception for staff providing certain services such as critical lab work or animal care.
Officials would send specific instructions on how workers can retrieve equipment on Tuesday, according to the message.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declined to comment on the record about when CDC employees will return to work.
An armed sheriff’s deputy manned the door Monday at the CVS where the shooter opened fire toward the CDC on Friday afternoon. Directly across the street, a steady stream of mourners left notes and flowers at a growing tribute for slain DeKalb County police Officer David Rose.
A woman walking her dog wiped tears from her eyes after dropping off a bouquet of white roses.
Another mourner, a former CDC employee, left a note and a small American flag as a tribute.
“The man was a hero,” said Julie Edelson, who worked for 10 years as a health policy analyst at the CDC.
She said Rose put his life on the line to save others, saying he represented “all that’s right in the world.”
Edelson said she was horrified Friday when she heard about the shooting and thought of her former co-workers sheltering inside. They’re all devoted to making the world better through their work in public health, she said.
“I love the institution. I love the people that work there,” she said. “The idea that they have become vilified by the political discourse is hurtful and harmful in every way.”
Supporters have already donated more than $200,000 to the family of fallen DeKalb County police Officer David Rose.
An online donation site had raised the staggering sum by 2:15 p.m. Monday. The GoFundMe campaign is the only official fundraiser to support his family, which includes a wife and two children, plus a third on the way.
The fund has rapidly gained support since early morning, when it had generated about $30,000.
In a statement, DeKalb officials said the fund was created in response to an overwhelming number of requests seeking to help. Read more about the fundraiser here.
Police incident reports obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution show the gunman in Friday's deadly shooting at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had struggled with chronic pain for years and was suicidal.
Patrick White’s father, Kenneth White, called Cobb County police to their Kennesaw home multiple times in the past two years, according to public records.
An incident report dated Sept. 7, 2024, states Patrick White was threatening to harm himself due to severe back pain.
“Patrick stated that he was in a lot of pain and stated that he had surgery 10 years ago, and his back is no good,” the officer detailed. “He stated that he does not want to die. He stated that he got the COVID shot and that his health has been bad ever since.”
According to the report, Kenneth White told police his son had seen “numerous doctors” and none could find anything wrong with him, "except maybe depression.”
Kenneth White called 911 again in July of this year to report that he hadn’t seen his son in several hours and had received a message that concerned him due to his son's chronic back and joint pain and history of suicidal thoughts.
Patrick White turned up later that day, and the case was closed.
An earlier incident report from April states police were called for a wellness check after Patrick White called a crisis line, saying he’d been drinking and taking his medication. When police arrived, he told them he had called the line “just to talk to someone.” Officers noted he did not appear intoxicated, and no further action was taken.
In a 911 call Friday, the father explained he feared his son was involved in the DeKalb County shooting and pleaded with the operator to put him in contact with an officer who had previously dealt with his son.
U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Georgia) criticized Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in light of the recent shooting at the CDC while speaking at an immigration news conference Monday.
“The CDC has been under sustained political attack since this administration took power," Ossoff said. “This is the world's preeminent epidemiological agency responsible for protecting the American people and the world from deadly disease outbreaks, and the Secretary of Health and Human Services is a notorious crank who has embraced, over the course of his career, countless unfounded conspiracy theories about public health.
“That's one of the reasons that I so strongly opposed his confirmation,” he added.
In a news conference Monday, President Donald Trump spoke at length about crime in Washington and an upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
But he did not make any mention of the shooting at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta last week.
Trump has not made any public comments relating to the shooting, nor has any White House official since it happened Friday.
Trump was not asked about the shooting by the assembled media.
The U.S. Marine Corps confirmed Monday that DeKalb County police Officer David Rose served four years and had deployed to Kuwait for five months.
The 33-year-old, formerly named Rasahn Patrick David Atkinson, joined the Marines in May 2013 and reached the rank of corporal before his departure in 2017, officials said. His deployment was from May to October 2015.
Rose legally changed his name in 2023, the AJC confirmed through court records.
During his time in the Marines, Rose received multiple awards, including the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and the National Defense Service Medal.
His last duty assignment was to the Marine Wing Support Squadron 374, Marine Aircraft Group 16, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing in Twentynine Palms, California.
Several protesters gathered at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to coincide with the visit of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Monday.
Among them was retired CDC employee Steve Monroe, who showed up after hearing about Kennedy’s appearance in a group chat comprised of current and former employees.
Monroe, who worked 34 years at the agency, pointed to the bullet-riddled building across the street — Building 21. He counted eight floors up to his former office and noted it was one of the windows struck by gunfire Friday.
“I wanted the secretary to know that I don’t agree with what he says, that his comments have consequences,” said Monroe, who worked as a senior leader for laboratory science.
He criticized recent cuts to CDC funding and called Kennedy’s comments on the COVID-19 vaccine dangerous.
“Certainly that kind of rhetoric was what led to this person thinking this was a way to show his frustration,” Monroe said.