This browser does not support the Video element.
DeKalb officer killed in CDC shooting honored 1 year later
Family members, fellow officers and the community are remembering DeKalb County police Officer David Rose as the one-year anniversary of the deadly shooting outside the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approaches. Kim Leoffler reporting.
ATLANTA - Family members, fellow officers and the community are remembering DeKalb County police Officer David Rose as the one-year anniversary of the deadly shooting outside the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approaches.
What we know:
Rose, 33, was shot and killed Aug. 8, 2025, while responding to an active shooter outside the CDC campus near Emory University.
A memorial has remained outside the CDC since the shooting. Now, the road at the entrance to the campus has been renamed in Rose's honor.
Remembering Officer David Rose
What they're saying:
Rose's mother described her son as fearless, strong and always willing to help someone in need.
"That's my son. He will step in front of them again if you line them up again and say, this is what's going to happen," she said. "He would say, well, someone has to do it."
His family said they will always remember him not only as a police officer and hero, but also as a devoted father.
"David was a great and amazing father to our daughter," Rose's family said. "Not easy telling a six-year-old that her father is no longer with us, and she will no longer see him and play with him."
What happened at the CDC
The backstory:
Investigators said Patrick Joseph White opened fire outside the CDC campus, firing hundreds of rounds at the complex.
Rose responded to the active shooter call and was fatally wounded.
Law enforcement officials said White blamed the COVID-19 vaccine for making him depressed and suicidal.
The shooting prompted a lockdown at nearby Emory University as authorities responded to the attack.
PREVIOUS STORIES
- CDC Atlanta shooting: Alleged gunman is dead, no immediate threat to public, police say
- CDC Atlanta shooting: Emory police officer confronted gunman, records show
- Patrick Joseph White: Who is the accused shooter at Emory and CDC
- CDC Atlanta shooting: Memorials continue to grow for Officer Rose
Events & RFK Jr. visit
What's next:
The Emory community will hold special events to mark the one-year anniversary of the shooting and remember Rose.
The memorial outside the CDC has remained a visible tribute to Rose throughout the past year. The newly renamed road at the entrance to the campus provides another permanent reminder of the officer and his sacrifice.
It has also been reported that Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will visit the CDC on Friday. FOX 5 Atlanta has reached out for details about his visit.