CDC union urges stronger protections after shooting attack

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.

ATLANTA - The union representing employees at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is calling for enhanced security measures following a shooting incident at the agency's Roybal campus last week. 

CDC union calls for additional security

What we know:

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 2883 expressed concerns about staff safety and urged Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Trump administration to take decisive action to protect workers.

The Department of Health and Human Services stated that additional safety and security measures will be implemented by next week.

What they're saying:

Yolanda Jacobs, president of AFGE Local 2883, emphasized the impact on staff, stating, "Our workforce, it can't be expected to sit beside bullet holes." Jacobs noted that the incident has left employees traumatized, adding, "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."

The union criticized Kennedy for his past vaccine disinformation, arguing that it has exacerbated risks for CDC staff. Jacobs remarked, "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." White reportedly told police in 2024 that the COVID-19 vaccine made him sick.

Bullet holes are seen in windows at the Centers For Disease Control (CDC) Global Headquarters following a shooting that left two dead, on August 9, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. On August 8, a gunman opened fire near the headquarters of the Centers for D

Expand

Jacobs further commented, "Basically they have placed a target on the backs of CDC employees." While the union stopped short of calling for Kennedy's resignation, it demanded stronger action. Vi Le of AFGE Local 2883 suggested, "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."

RFK Jr. on COVID vaccine

The other side:

In response to the incident, Kennedy visited the Roybal campus on Monday to assess the damage and review security protocols. He assured CDC staff of their safety and support, saying, "Reassure the CDC staff that they’re safe, that they’re supported, that they have the broader agency behind them and that we’re going to do everything we can to assure their safety." He also emphasized the importance of instilling pride in the agency's work, stating, "Is to make sure that people who work at the CDC have pride in what they’re doing, and we’re doing everything to instill that pride."

During an interview with FOX News’ Jonathan Serrie following his tour, Kennedy said CDC workers should be honored for protecting public health and should not feel that their lives are at risk. He also addressed his decision to scale back mRNA vaccine development for respiratory infections, citing scientific concerns, safety risks, and public mistrust.

Kennedy said the technology may be better suited for cancer and other illnesses but not upper respiratory infections, where he argued it can drive viral evolution. He also noted reports of injuries associated with the COVID-19 vaccine and pointed to low vaccination uptake, particularly among children.

Sec. Robert F. Kennedy addresses CDC shooting

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, who oversees the CDC, addressed the shooting at the agency's headquarters in Atlanta. Kennedy told FOX News that nobody in public service should have to risk their life.

On vaccine confidence, Kennedy said public trust in federal health agencies is "at a historic low" and argued that transparency — not propaganda — is the way to rebuild it. He linked declining health outcomes to the American diet and outlined his "Make America Healthy Again" priorities, including limiting ultra-processed foods in federal nutrition programs.

Former U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams criticized the move, warning that reducing mRNA research could cost lives. Kennedy responded that health officials at the NIH, BARDA, CBER, and CDC agree the application should not target respiratory infections.

He also criticized the government’s pandemic response, saying future outbreaks should focus on isolating the sick, protecting the vulnerable, and keeping society open, while sharing real-time treatment strategies from frontline doctors worldwide.

Shooting at CDC, Emory University campus

The backstory:

According to the GBI and other local officials, 30-year-old Patrick Joseph White of Kennesaw opened fire on the CDC shortly before 5 p.m. on Aug. 8. DeKalb County Police Officer David Rose was shot as he responded to the scene and died soon after at Emory University Hospital.

CDC shooting witness came within 20 feet of shooter outside CVS

A Dance 101 employee says she came face to face with the shooter outside the CDC on Sunday while on her way to open the studio. The woman says the gunman, who the GBI has identified as 30-year-old Patrick Joseph White, had on a mask and was on the steps of the CVS. The woman says dance is helping her process what's happened.

Multiple windows of the CDC were struck by bullets, and employees were unable to leave the campus for several hours after White’s body was found on the second floor of the building housing a CVS store across the street from the CDC. Additionally, 92 children were held inside a daycare until it was deemed safe to reunite them with their parents at an off-sire location. 

What's next:

CDC employees at the Roybal campus have been advised to work from home this week, with the union advocating for indefinite remote work options. Additionally, the union is requesting 24-hour perimeter security with armed guards equipped with weapons stronger than handguns, as well as increased security at leased CDC properties.