Suspect identified in Atlanta shooting outside CDC: What to know

Police identified a 30-year-old man as the suspected gunman in a Friday shooting outside the Center for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta. 

Patrick Joseph White of Kennesaw, Ga. was named as the alleged shooter by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation on Saturday.

Local law enforcement is still investigating for White's motive.

Here’s what we know about White.

Died on the scene

Police discovered White on the second floor of a building that houses a CVS Pharmacy, The Associated Press reported. The suspected gunman was shot and bleeding, eventually succumbing to his wounds and dying at the scene.

Investigators are unsure if White was shot by police or if the wounds were self-inflicted. 

Fatally shot a police officer

White fatally shot David Rose, a 33-year-old police officer from DeKalb County. Rose was responding to the shooting when he was struck by White’s gunfire. 

“He was committed to serving the community. At this time we are asking for the community’s prayers,” Greg Padrick, interim chief of the DeKalb County Police Department, said a Friday press conference.

“It’s a noble profession we all do. We answer the call to serve our community and he gave his life to a commitment to serve others,” he added. 

Rose was the only victim to lose his life, however, several others reported bouts of anxiety at local hospitals after the shooting, per the AP. 

Four buildings targeted

Police said White struck four buildings on the CDC campus. 

“We at @CDCgov are heartbroken by today’s attack on our Roybal Campus, which remains on lockdown as authorities investigate the shooting. A courageous local law enforcement officer gave his life, and another was injured, after a gunman opened fire on at least four CDC buildings,” CDC director Susan Monarez wrote in a post on the social media platform X after the shooting. 

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. also shared his condolences after the deadly shooting.

“We are deeply saddened by the tragic shooting at CDC’s Atlanta campus that took the life of officer David Rose,” Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. said Saturday, according to AP. 

“We know how shaken our public health colleagues feel today. No one should face violence while working to protect the health of others,” his statement continued.

But some groups criticized Kennedy, particularly over his stance on vaccine safety.

“Kennedy is directly responsible for the villainization of CDC’s workforce through his continuous lies about science and vaccine safety, which have fueled a climate of hostility and mistrust,” Fired but Fighting, a network of former CDC workers, stated.