CDC shooting: 150 windows pierced by bullets, employees fear recognition

Over 150 bullets strike CDC campus during attack

The union representing workers for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta are calling for heighten security after a gunman opened fire on four of the buildings on the main campus of the CDC on Clifton Road.

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - The gunman who attacked the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters in Atlanta on Friday reportedly fired more than 180 shots, shattering about 150 windows — including some "blast-resistant" glass — and sending shards into multiple rooms.

No CDC employees were injured in the attack, but the incident left the campus scarred, staff shaken, and at least four buildings damaged. The CDC says it could take weeks or months to replace windows and clean up, according to The Associated Press.

What we know:

Authorities identified the alleged shooter as 30-year-old Patrick Joseph White of Kennesaw, a suburb of Atlanta.

According to law enforcement, White blamed the COVID-19 vaccine for making him depressed and suicidal. The gunman was reportedly stopped by CDC security guards before driving to a nearby pharmacy, where he opened fire again. White later died, though officials have not said whether police killed him or if he took his own life.

DeKalb County Police Officer David Rose was fatally shot during the attack. U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., CDC Director Susan Monarez, and HHS Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill toured the campus Monday, viewing the damage and meeting with Rose’s widow.

Monarez said at least four CDC buildings were struck, with Building 21 — where her office is located — hit by the largest number of bullets. Kennedy issued a statement Saturday saying, "No one should face violence while working to protect the health of others," and promised support for CDC staff.

What we don't know:

Five guns were recovered after the attack. According to The New York Times, some – if not all – of the guns belonged to White's father. Although it has been revealed that long guns were recovered, detailed information on the weapons the shooter may have used has not been revealed.

As of Tuesday morning, an official photo of the suspect has not been released by the GBI or other law enforcement.

What they're saying:

The CDC’s union, American Federation of Government Employees Local 2883, has called for stronger protections, including more heavily armed guards, bulletproof glass, better alert systems, and evacuation plans for disabled and vulnerable employees.

"Our workforce – it can't be expected to sit beside bullet holes," said union president Yolanda Jacobs. "We have to also consider that some of those bullets actually entered the building. So it's not just where it was outside surface damage. There was damage to the interior as well. So a lot of these employees, I mean, they're traumatized. It's not every day they wake up to get shot at."

Jacobs also criticized Kennedy for his history of vaccine disinformation, saying, "When your own leadership peddles falsehoods, it doesn't just erode the public trust. It creates the conditions for the kind of violence that we saw on Friday." She added, "Basically they have placed a target on the backs of CDC employees."

Vi Le of AFGE Local 2883 said, "A big step in the right direction would be a strong stance, a very, very strong, clear stance publicly and following through with actions that he stands against this vaccine disinformation."

The backstory:

White reportedly told police in 2024, whom had been called to his home several times, that the COVID-19 vaccine made him sick. White also had severe physical pain from back surgery years ago, according to The New York Times.

Additionally, White's father said that his son's health had been "bad" since he received a COVID-19 vaccination, but his son had been evaluated by "numerous doctors" who did not identify any physical problems.

Kennedy, before being appointed by President Donald Trump to oversee federal health agencies, was a leading figure in the national anti-vaccine movement and has reportedly made false and misleading claims about vaccines.

CDC employees say years of false rhetoric have worsened threats to public health workers. Former CDC official Tim Young said such rhetoric "leads to violence" and "takes a toll on people’s mental health."

Former U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams told CBS’s "Face the Nation" that health leaders "have to understand people are listening" and that making false claims about vaccines can cause "unintended consequences."

In a staff meeting on Saturday, CDC officials reportedly told their employees that White was "very disturbed."

What's next:

HHS says additional safety measures will be in place by next week. In the meantime, CDC employees have been told to work from home. How long that will be is unknown at this point. Some say they are avoiding wearing their public health service uniforms in public.

"Now it’s at the point we’re afraid to have those types of conversations with anybody, because we don’t know who they are and we don’t know what rhetoric they’ve ingested," union president Yolanda Jacobs said.

Retired CDC official Stephan Monroe fears the attack could deter the next generation of scientists from government work. "I’m concerned that this is going to be a generational hit," he said.

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