CDC, Emory University shooting: Nearby workers describe chaos

Neighborhood quiet one day after active shooter outside CDC

The neighborhood where a man allegedly opened fire on the CDC killing a DeKalb police officer was quiet Saturday, one day after the shooting. Several businesses that were normally opened on Saturday stayed closed. Workers around the area describe what was happening when the shots rang out.

ATLANTA - Workers at a nearby Jewish deli said they were shocked and confused when gunfire started to ring out near the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday.

What they're saying:

"At around 4:50 or so, one of my operating managers comes through, and she's like, ‘hey, just to let y’all know there is an active shooting going on next door. Get away from all the doors, lock the doors, get in the back,’" said Nial Benton, who works at The General Muir. "Like, this kind of felt, surreal for a second, you know what I mean? Like, you don't ever expect things like this to happen."

"I heard the shots and that was pretty scary, it was just like firecrackers. And I don't know, because we're so close to the CDC, so I didn't know what the situation was," said Jason Arel-Klein, who also works at the deli.

You can hear rapid gun fire in videos from near the scene. The deli workers said people were confused about what they should do to protect themselves.

"There was a lady who just got off the bus. She was in a panic, and she was trying to run towards the parking garage... but my executive chef signaled her to come inside because you’re hearing gunshots everywhere you want to make sure she’s safe too you don’t want to have her getting harmed," Benton said. "There was another guy who was outside, too, who was walking around and I signaled him to come inside just to make sure they were safe as well."

Before it was over, the workers said they were worried about what would happen to them. 
 
"My first instinct was to call my girlfriend and just tell her that I love her because, you know, you don't know what's about to happen. So I immediately called her, sent her a video of what's going on. Some members of my family, I sent them the video and said ‘hey, there's a shooter next door,’" Benton said.

The backstory:

A DeKalb police officer, David Rose, 33, and the suspected shooter died in the incident.

Police said the shooter, identified as 30-year-old Patrick Joseph White of Kennesaw, died inside a CVS on Clifton Road across from CDC's main campus.

What's next:

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is investigating the shooting.