CDC shooter had police contacts over suicide, used father's guns in attack: officials
Share this @internewscast.com

The man accused of killing a police officer while shooting at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) headquarters in Atlanta on Friday had previously been reported to police for suicidal thoughts and launched the deadly attack with his father’s weapons to send a message against COVID-19 vaccines, authorities said Tuesday.

Patrick Joseph White, 30, is suspected of killing DeKalb County Police Department Officer David Rose, 33, shortly before 5 p.m., in an attack that saw him unload around 200 rounds into six CDC buildings. White’s driver’s license image was released publicly for the first time on Tuesday. 

Rose, who previously served as a Marine in Afghanistan and joined the DeKalb County Police Department in September 2024, was responding to the scene and died from gunshot wounds. 

Patrick Joseph White drivers license

Patrick Joseph White, 30, is suspected of killing DeKalb County Police Department Officer David Rose, 33, shortly before 5 p.m., in an attack that saw him fire 200 rounds into six CDC buildings. (Georgia Bureau of Investigation)

In a September 2024 call, White told police his health had declined after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine and that his deteriorating condition had led to suicidal ideation. Officers said White stated he was in pain and had back surgery a decade ago. He claimed taking a gun from his father’s locker was “only a cry for help.”

After that incident, White was taken to Kennestone Hospital but refused mental health treatment on subsequent calls, per the report. Two other calls took place in April and July of this year.

Hosey said that for Friday’s attack, White broke into his father’s safe to get the guns, noting they had been locked away. 

“All indications in our investigation was that they were secure and that he forced his way into the safe that contained the weapons,” said Hosey, adding that the suspect did not have a key to the gun safe: “He broke into it,” Hosey said.

Hosey said that during a search of his residence, authorities found documents expressing anger towards the COVID-19 vaccine. He said there were no direct threats made in the writing, but it was described as personal manifesto to “make the public aware” of his views.

Dekalb county police officer killed David Rose

DeKalb County Police Department Officer David Rose was killed in a shooting outside the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) campus in Atlanta on Friday. (DeKalb County Police Department)

“A search warrant executed at the residence of the shooter revealed written documentation that expressed the shooter’s discontent with the COVID-19 vaccinations,” Hosey said.

“I would describe it as more of a public awareness. There was no direct threat… but it was his making the public aware, in his words, of his discontent with the vaccines itself,” Hosey said in response to a reporter’s follow-up question.

Hosey said the materials are being reviewed by certified behavioral profilers and shared with the FBI.

White had been stopped by CDC security guards before driving to a pharmacy across the street, where he opened fire from a sidewalk, authorities said. The bullets pierced “blast-resistant” windows across the campus, pinning employees down during the barrage. More than 500 shell casings have been recovered from the crime scene, the GBI said.

In the aftermath, officials at the CDC are assessing the security of the campus and making sure they notify officials of any new threats.

Georgia crime scene

An investigator looks at the crime scene where a Georgia police officer was shot dead.  (Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI))

U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. toured the CDC campus on Monday, accompanied by Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill and CDC Director Susan Monarez, according to a health agency statement. Kennedy also visited the DeKalb County Police Department, and later met privately with the slain officer’s wife.

Kenedy recently announced that the CDC will no longer recommend COVID‑19 vaccinations for healthy children or pregnant individuals and canceled 22 mRNA vaccine development contracts totaling roughly $500 million because he said the data showed that those vaccines fail to protect effectively against upper respiratory infections like COVID and flu. 

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Suspected blue city gunmen kill innocent girl in revenge shooting at home: sheriff

Sheriff reports: Alleged gunmen from blue city fatally shoot innocent girl in retaliation at residence

A second man is in custody stemming from a San Antonio mass…
Health insurance costs for 22 million in limbo as shutdown begins

22 Million Face Uncertainty Over Health Insurance Costs as Government Shutdown Starts

The first government shutdown since 2019 has begun, and Republican leaders say…
New York City high-rise apartment building suffers partial collapse

Partial Collapse Hits New York City High-Rise Apartment Building

A portion of a New York City high-rise apartment building collapsed Wednesday…
Anti-Defamation League retires glossary of extremist groups after backlash for including Charlie Kirk's TPUSA

ADL withdraws extremist groups glossary following criticism for listing Charlie Kirk’s TPUSA

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) recently decided to pull its entire “Glossary of…
Son accused of brutally beating his mother to death with gardening tool over inheritance: police

Man Allegedly Kills Mother in Violent Attack Using Garden Tool in Dispute Over Inheritance: Authorities

A Missouri man is behind bars after authorities say he allegedly beat…
Through the roof: How much does it cost to live in Glynn County?

Skyrocketing Prices: What Are the Living Expenses in Glynn County?

The median home price in some areas has doubled in the last…
MTG Demands Influencers Register Under FARA

MTG Calls for Influencers to Sign Up Under FARA Regulations

Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (MTG) called for all social media influencers paid…
North Carolina bar patron’s video may have foiled gunman night before deadly waterfront massacre: report

Video from a North Carolina bar patron might have stopped a gunman the night before a deadly waterfront shooting: report

A gunman accused of carrying out an ambush at a North Carolina…
Charlie Kirk assassination suspect's expanded defense team includes Menendez brother's former attorney

Defense Team for Charlie Kirk Assassination Case Now Includes Former Attorney of Menendez Brothers

PROVO, Utah — A Utah court has finalized the legal team behind…
Oklahoma Gov. Stitt, ICE bust 120 illegal immigrants in highway crackdown, slams Biden border failures

Governor Stitt and ICE Collaborate to Detain 120 Undocumented Immigrants in Highway Operation; Criticize Biden’s Border Policies

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol, working with ICE agents, arrested 120 illegal immigrants…
Judge sets sentencing date for Jacksonville rapper Ksoo convicted of murder

Live | Sentencing today for Jacksonville rapper Ksoo and co-defendant ATK Scotty following murder conviction

Ksoo and his co-defendant Leroy Whitaker, also known as ATK Scotty, are…
Random blue city stabbing death fuels new bail bill as ‘activists’ ripped for lack of crime crackdown: expert

911 Audio Released of Fatal Train Stabbing of Iryna Zarutska in Charlotte

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department has released recordings of five 911 calls made…