A gunman opened fire near CDC headquarters Friday, hitting at least four buildings on the agency’s campus in Atlanta and killing a Dekalb County police officer, authorities said.
Media outlets have reported that the suspected gunman believed he was made sick by the Covid-19 vaccine, citing anonymous law enforcement sources. Police have not officially confirmed the suspected shooter's vaccine beliefs or released his name.
No CDC employees or civilians were injured, the gunman was “struck by gunfire” and died at the scene, authorities said.
Dekalb County Police Officer David Rose was killed by gunfire while responding to the incident, police said. Rose, 33, had two children, and his wife was pregnant with a third. Rose joined the DeKalb County Police Academy in September 2024 and graduated in March, 2025.
Before joining the DeKalb County Police Academy, he served four years in the U.S. Marine Corps and was deployed to Afghanistan.
Series of events
When officers arrived on the scene Friday evening, they heard gunfire coming from a CVS, across from the CDC’s main entrance. They found the suspected gunman on the second floor of the store with a gunshot wound. He died at the scene. Atlanta Police have said they believe he acted alone.
During a press conference Friday, local authorities said it is unclear whether the suspected gunman shot himself or was killed by officials responding to the incident.
The suspected gunman fired multiple rounds into at least four CDC buildings, and photos seen by POLITICO show bullet marks shattering the glass of an upper story of one of the buildings.
Two CDC employees told POLITICO Friday evening that all staff at the agency were told to shelter in place.
CDC Director Susan Monarez said Friday night that the agency is working with federal, state, and local authorities on the investigation.
“We at CDC are heartbroken by today’s attack on our Roybal Campus, which remains on lockdown as authorities investigate the shooting,” Monarez said in a statement. “A courageous local law enforcement officer gave their life, and another was injured, after a gunman opened fire on at least four CDC buildings.
Political climate
The shooting comes amid an already tumultuous time for CDC staff. Hundreds of agency employees received termination notices in April, and some got sporadically rehired. The Trump administration also has proposed slashing the agency’s budget by roughly half.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has repeatedly raised concerns over the safety of the Covid-19 vaccine. Since being sworn in in February, the agency has stopped recommending the vaccine for pregnant people and to narrow the recommendations for healthy children.
Kennedy said earlier this week that HHS would halt $500 million in funding for mRNA research, the technology that was used to create the first Covid-19 vaccines, citing safety concerns. The planned cancellation of contracts includes work with Emory University and Tiba Biotech. Proposals from Pfizer, Sanofi Pasteur, CSL Seqirus, Gritstone and others will also be rejected, according to HHS.
Many public health experts pushed back on that decision, arguing that the technology is safe and a key tool for responding to future pandemics.
One CDC official, granted anonymity to speak candidly, told POLITICO they were disappointed that neither Kennedy or President Donald Trump have publicly spoken about the shooting. On X, Kennedy reposted a statement from Monarez about the incident.
“As you might imagine, there is a lot of fear and anger among agency staff right now,” the official said.
An HHS spokesperson said that Kennedy plans to address the incident Saturday morning.
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