On Saturday, about 800 rattles with US Disease Control and Prevention Centers tried to make sense of the trauma that they survived only the day before the gunman opened fire in agency buildings from all over the street.
They were hen with more than 40 bullets over the windows of their office over the weekend, whisking slightly through the walls of their cab and petrification in at least four buildings.
But the violent Friday episode is the latest alarming new chapter, which was a turbulent CDC period. Although the authorities have not announced the motive for the shooting, the law enforcement sources say the suspect may have referred the CDC for the health problems he blamed the Covid-19 vaccine.
One of the leading world health agencies, the CDC is tasked with protecting American health. However, it arose through the second administration of Trump, as conspiracy theories continue to suffer a vaccine credited to the stopping of the global pandemic spread.
The CDC office attack was directed and thoughtful, and CDC leaders told the staff during the call. Employees may hear that their work was directed to the possible motivation of the shooter, the management added.
CDC Chief Medical Officer dr. Debra Houry admitted that the terror workers had experienced whether they were in the building or not, saying that the leaders were “crazy”.
Leaders said to employees, many of whom work at the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, the attack was carried out by a shooter who applied for mental health a few weeks before the incident but did not threaten in advance, two sources say they were not named.
It is unclear who the suspect, identified as Patrick Joseph White, has approached. An investigation into what prompted the shooting.
The CDC employee shared photos showing bullet holes in the windows near the booths on Friday in CDC headquarters 24 building. – CNN received
A window struck by a gun fire after shooting at the CDC headquarters on Friday. – CNN received
“It has not been a stray bullet”
The shooting began just before 5pm. Emory Point CVS pharmacy Clifton Road, directly in front of the main entrance to CDC.
The pistol – wearing what looked like a surgical mask and armed with two hand weapons, rifle, rifle, and two backpacks filled with ammunition – fired at least four CDC buildings.
Two buildings had at least 40 bullet holes, as well as several in the third building, CDC leaders said on Saturday. The buildings live most of the non -laboratory works CDC.
“These were not a homeless bullet,” said one leader who shares the renewal of the authorities. CNN received copies of the staff from the meeting, which were distributed in a large group of employees.
CDC staff said in a Saturday call that they felt like “sitting ducks”.
Photos viewed by CNN, taken from the inside of a CDC building, depicts bullet holes in windows and crashed glass on the floor. The images depicted in the ammunition round flew directly above the office booth line where the staff sitting.
When the gunman fired at the CDC complex, David Rose retreated by Decoal -Palb District Police. According to the law enforcement source, the Sagittarius directed his goal from the CDC complex to the officer.
33 -year -old Rose was shot and later died in hospital. Married to a two -year -old father, with another along the way, Rose would have done one year next month.
After a busy closure to the night, the gun struck a pistol and found dead on the second floor of the CVS store. The police could not tell whether the pistol came from the officers or the weapon himself.
At CDC offices, staff said the situation could have been much worse.
“It’s a miracle that no one was killed here,” a CDC employee told CNN.
The flowers are visible to the world headquarters of a hand -written sign behind the Centers of Disease Control (CDC), after shooting in 2025. August 9 Atlanta, Georgia. – Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images
Photography occurred in a misinformation in the vaccine and reduced CDC funding
After talking to members of the suspect’s family, the police work according to the hypothesis that he was either ill or believed he was ill and blamed the disease for the Covid-19 vaccine, and a law enforcement officer told CNN.
The shooting took place the same week by the US Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.-Long-Year Covid Vaccination Critic, which disseminated vaccine disinformation-re-announced half a billion dollars for MRNA projects.
HHS said it would eliminate federal funding for nearly two ten MRNA vaccine projects.
“We were very upset by the tragic shooting in the CDC Atlantic town, which occupied the life of officer David Rose,” Kennedy said on Saturday. “No one should experience violence working to protect the health of others.”
Police officer David Rose, who was shot and killed through shooting in the Emory University town. – Decalbo District Police
“Public health workers seem to be a goal every day – even in moments of grief and uncertainty,” the secretary of health continued. “We respect their service. We are standing with them. And we continue to united in our mission to protect and improve the health of each American.”
Asked for Saturday’s call, she talked to Kennedy about his plan to deal with shooting, CDC director dr. Susan Monarez replied that they had contacted his office, writes in the comments received by CNN.
Monarez was also asked what the agency had planned to do to resolve misinformation, but the agency leaders did not respond directly when calling.
Monarez reported CDC employees by email. By email, they will work remotely on Monday until “security valuation” is performed. Employees were given the opportunity to employees, she said.
Atlanta mayor Andre Dickens said CDC staff “had difficult” in recent years, stating “uncertainty” about the recruitment of CDC employees.
Since January, the agency has lost almost a quarter of its employees. The budget proposed by the short administration for the 2026 fiscal year will reduce the agency’s funding more than half.
CDC will lose additional programs according to the proposed reorganization. Some will be transferred to the new healthy American administration, while others, for example, the National Center for Chronic Diseases and Health Promotion – would be completely abolished.
“My heart comes out for you,” Dickens said. “We are with you. We are standing with you and doing everything we can to make sure we are determined to help in the situation.”
Ray Sanchez contributed to this post.
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