CDC shooting leaves officer dead amid tensions over vaccines

Hind Al Soulia - Riyadh - ATLANTA — A Georgia man who opened fire on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters, killing a police officer, had blamed the COVID-19 vaccine for making him depressed and suicidal, The Associated Press reported on Saturday. Authorities identified the shooter as 30-year-old Patrick Joseph White, who fired dozens of rounds into the CDC complex late Friday after being stopped from entering by security guards. Armed with five guns, including at least one long gun, White then went to a pharmacy across the street and opened fire. DeKalb County Police Officer David Rose, 33, a former Marine who graduated from the police academy in March, was mortally wounded while responding. Rose leaves behind a wife, three children, and an unborn child. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has not said whether White was killed by police or died by suicide. His father identified him to authorities, saying his son had been distraught over his dog’s death and obsessed with COVID-19 vaccine fears. The shooting shattered windows in four CDC buildings, locking thousands of employees inside for hours. Staff were advised to work remotely or take leave Monday as security officials conduct a full assessment. The attack has reignited criticism of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime vaccine skeptic who has slashed CDC vaccine funding and led mass layoffs at the agency. Some current and former employees accused him of fostering hostility toward CDC staff, with the advocacy group Fired But Fighting calling for his resignation. Kennedy expressed condolences to Rose’s family and CDC workers, saying, “No one should face violence while working to protect the health of others.” But critics said his rhetoric and policies helped fuel the climate that led to the shooting. White’s neighbors described him as friendly but increasingly consumed by anti-vaccine beliefs. “He very deeply believed that vaccines hurt him and were hurting other people,” said Nancy Hoalst, who lives on his street. The shooting has intensified concerns among federal health workers about safety. CDC’s security office urged employees to remove old agency decals from their cars to avoid being targeted. — Agencies