The 30-year-old man who opened fire at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week, resulting in the death of a police officer, shot 500 rounds at the CDC, with 200 striking six of the headquarters’ buildings.
Patrick Joseph White was discovered deceased on the 2nd floor of the building housing the CVS drug store in Emory Point, a mixed-use development located across the street from the CDC. Authorities stated at a news conference on Tuesday that he had taken his own life, as reported by WAGA.
Authorities reported that White accessed a gun safe at his family’s residence, retrieving various rifles, a shotgun, and a handgun before proceeding to Emory University and the CDC’s campus in Atlanta. Police indicated that the majority of recovered shell casings were from a long gun.
White gunned down DeKalb County Police Officer David Rose, who responded to the initial calls about shots fired just before 5 p.m. on Friday.
“He served with honor, courage, and unwavering dedication,” stated Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Chris Hosey. “His sacrifice will never be forgotten.”
A law enforcement source informed The Associated Press that the shooter attempted entry into the CDC headquarters but was prevented by guards, leading him to drive across to the CVS, where he initiated the shooting.
No CDC employees were injured by gunfire, and the agency meticulously cleared each building to ensure everyone’s safety, as reported by WAGA. Additionally, a daycare center on the campus was evacuated, and all 92 children present were safely reunited with their parents.
The GBI said that they found writings from White saying he “distrusted” the COVID-19 vaccines, but they described the writings as a personal statement and not a threat. Authorities previously said that White blamed the vaccine for his depression and suicidal thoughts.
Those suicidal thoughts had led to contact with police several weeks before the deadly shooting.
WAGA also obtained the 911 call made on Friday by the killer’s father in Cobb County, where they both lived. The father said he had called DeKalb County’s E911 center — probably the non-emergency number since calls to 911 go to the nearest dispatch center — three times but had not received a call back. He told Cobb County dispatchers he thought his son might be involved in the CDC shooting.
