The police officer killed when a gunman opened fire on the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta Friday was identified as father-of-two David Rose.
At 33, Officer Rose had just embarked on his journey with the Dekalb County Police Department this past September. He is survived by his pregnant spouse and two young children.
“Tonight, a wife is grieving the absence of her husband. Three children, one yet to be born, are now fatherless,” stated DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson in a press briefing.
“There are parents and siblings experiencing this profound loss as well. Let’s unite and offer this family the necessary support,” she added.
Rose was shot by a gunman firing wildly at CDC buildings near Emory University.
The officer was found critically injured amidst gunfire at the CVS situated at Emory Point, which is just across from the CDC headquarters.
Rose was rushed to the hospital but succumbed to his injuries.
The shooter, positioned one floor above the CVS, lost his life in an exchange of gunfire with police. It remains uncertain whether his fatal injuries were due to police actions or self-inflicted.
Dekalb County police officer David Rose, 33, was shot and killed while responding to the shooting at the Centers for Disease Control
Pictured: Police officers set up a blockade of a road near the CDC, where several buildings took fire
CDC Director Susan Monarez, FBI Director Kash Patel, and Georgia Governor Brian Kemp recognized Rose’s death as a brave sacrifice.
The shooter, who has yet to be identified, is believed to have been targeting the CDC, not nearby Emory University.
CNN reported that the shooter’s family members spoke to law enforcement and told them that he blamed his recent illness on the Covid-19 vaccine.
Late Friday afternoon, gunshots began to echo near Emory University, prompting an urgent alert from the university at approximately 4:50 pm, urging students to ‘RUN. HIDE. FIGHT.’
A little over two hours after the alert was sent out, Atlanta Police confirmed that the shooter was dead.
‘There is no ongoing threat to the Emory Campus or the surrounding neighborhood. The incident involved a single shooter, who is now deceased,’ Atlanta Police said in a statement.
No civilians were shot throughout the course of the attack, said Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens.
Pictured: Bullet holes are seen in Building 24 at the CDC, which is just down the road from Emory University
Pictured: An officer with a rifle gets ready to respond to the scene of the attack
Pictured: Two women who appear to be CVS employees hug each other. The shooter barricaded himself in the floor above the CVS while shooting at police officers
The shooting ended at the CVS, but bullets from the shooter’s gun hit at least four buildings that are part of the CDC’s headquarters.
A photo shared to social media showed at least two bullet holes in two separate windows.
A CDC employee told CNN that he saw a man approach the steps in front of the building, pull out a rifle and open fire.
Law enforcement officials said the shooter had four different weapons — two hand guns, one rifle and one shotgun — and was wearing what looked to be a surgical mask.
The CDC ultimately wasn’t breached. At around 10pm ET, the CDC gave their employees the all clear order via text message.
‘Local law enforcement continues to clear Roybal Campus buildings but has determined that there is no longer a threat to CDC staff,’ the text message read.
Roughly 92 children were at the employee daycare at the CDC campus, which had parents panicking since they weren’t allowed to immediately go pick them up because of shelter-in-place orders.
When the all-clear order was given roughly five hours after the shooting began, that’s when the children were finally reunited with their parents.
