CDC shooting aftermath: Here’s what we know

The GBI is providing an update on the investigation. You can watch the news conference here. 

Here's what we know so far:

• On Friday afternoon, 30-year-old Patrick Joseph White opened fire toward the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from the second floor of a CVS Pharmacy across the street.
• CDC employees took cover as bullets shattered windows. For more than 90 minutes, the CDC, the Emory University campus and a nearby hospital were placed on lockdown. An internal email said the gunman fired 180 shots and damaged at least 150 windows at the agency.
• DeKalb County Officer David Rose, 33, was fatally shot while responding to the scene. Rose was a married father of two, with a third child on the way, officials said. He joined the department in September. Rose was the fourth Georgia law enforcement member killed in the line of duty this year. 
• Neighbors said White, who lived in Cobb County with his parents, had a distrust of vaccines and that he blamed the COVID-19 vaccine for making him sick. He had spoken about them increasingly in recent months, even during unrelated conversations. 
• Records show White’s father called 911 multiple times the day of the shooting and expressed concerned his son could be involved. Kenneth White had called Cobb County police to their Kennesaw home multiple times over the past two years, saying his son struggled with chronic pain for years and was suicidal, records show.
• Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. toured the CDC on Monday before meeting with Rose’s widow. Kennedy has faced criticism from some CDC employees over his rhetoric around vaccines.

An online fundraiser to benefit the family of DeKalb County police officer David Rose has generated nearly $340,000 by early Tuesday.

The GoFundMe campaign has generated 4,000 donations and has a fundraising goal of $570,000, according to the site. Money raised will go to Rose's family and loved ones. He leaves behind a wife and two children with a third on the way. 

Multiple law enforcement agencies, including the GBI, will gather to provide updates at 10 a.m. Tuesday about last week's shooting at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The GBI, which is leading the investigation, said they will be joined by the Atlanta, DeKalb and Emory University police departments; the FBI; and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution will have a reporter and photographer at the news conference.

Three days after the attack on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. gave his first public interview on the shooting.

With some Atlanta-based CDC workers still dealing with lingering trauma from Friday's gunfire, Kennedy said employees were "part of a shining star health agency" and should be "proud of their work."

"They work in silence in saving us all and protecting our health, and they should not be the targets of this kind of violence from anybody," Kennedy said during an interview with Scripps News that aired Monday. "I come from a family that lost two of its members to political violence, and it's always wrong. ... Part of my job is to make sure that we protect our employees and keep them safe and allow them to do their critical work."

Kennedy's comments come as former and current CDC employees have called for him to resign following the attack. Critics say his views on the effectiveness and safety of some vaccines, in addition to federal government cuts, have placed a strain on employees of the agency this year. 

The GBI identified the gunman as 30-year-old Patrick Joseph White of Kennesaw. He blamed the COVID-19 vaccine for making him depressed and suicidal, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press on Saturday. 

Kennedy toured the CDC offices earlier Monday. 

Before mentioning the CDC employees during the interview, Kennedy gave attention to DeKalb County police officer David Rose, who was killed in the shooting. 

"Coming here was to offer condolences to the family," Kennedy said. 

He met with the widow of the fallen officer in addition to touring the CDC and showing his support for workers.

The man who attacked the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention fired more than 180 shots and damaged at least 150 windows, according to an internal email obtained Monday by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The gunfire on Friday impacted blast-resistant glass and sent shards traveling up to 50 feet, according to the official's email.

Some employees have told the AJC they remain fearful of going back to work.

About 85 bullets hit the eighth and ninth floors of building 21, while 29 struck building 24 between the sixth and eighth floors. An additional 31 bullets hit building 18, while building 16 was also struck by gunfire, the email stated.

More than three dozen shots were also fired at other sites on the CDC campus, including guardhouses at the entrance.

Window repairs apparently could take several weeks to months to complete.

A union representing thousands of workers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a series of demands Monday it hopes will shape the security and safety at the agency following Friday’s attack.

In a news conference via Zoom, the American Federation of Government Employees Local 2883 said it was demanding a "seat at the table" after months of ignored requests and communications to the Atlanta-based public health agency.

"Labor union representatives must be present and represented in safety task forces and decision-making at CDC. Emergency alerts, physical safety and security, emergency planning and evacuation procedures all require staff input to correct what went wrong last week,” the union said in a statement.

The demands included a flexible return to the office, as well as the return of violence prevention experts and continued use of their programs. The union also requested 24/7 perimeter security with armed guards across all CDC campuses and an improved alert system. Many employees were informed of the shooting by an Emory University alert.  

Yolanda Jacobs, the president of the union, called the CDC system a failure.

“It’s not every day they wake up to get shot at,” Jacobs said, adding that the interior of the buildings were damaged as well. 

The union also demanded the CDC issue public statements attributing the incident “to the same movements that villainize and politicize public health workers.”

“We want to say that again, this was a targeted attack. It was a targeted act of violence against not just the CDC, but CDC employees,” Jacobs said.

U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. met Monday with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Susan Monarez as he toured the facility’s bullet-ridden offices, HHS said in an announcement.

CDC security officers led the tour and pointed out the damage across multiple buildings and the shattered windows in the guard booth. Kennedy then visited the DeKalb County Police Department and met with Interim Chief Greg Padrick. He later met privately with the widow of DeKalb Officer David Rose, “who courageously gave his life in the line of duty,” the announcement said. 

“He offered his deepest condolences and reaffirmed the agency's commitment to honoring Officer Rose's bravery, sacrifice and service to the nation.”

The announcement reiterated Kennedy’s statement on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, that "we are deeply saddened by the tragic shooting at CDC's Atlanta campus that took the life of officer David Rose. We stand with his wife and three children and the entire CDC family.” 

The HHS statement continued, “HHS continues to support CDC personnel and their families. Most CDC personnel assigned to Roybal campus are teleworking this week and additional safety and security measures are being put in place ahead of their return.”

The CDC Foundation, an independent nonprofit created by Congress, launched a fundraiser to support the family of DeKalb County police Officer David Rose.

He leaves behind a wife and two children, plus a third on the way. 

In a fundraising message, the foundation noted that Rose died Friday "while courageously protecting the CDC during a targeted shooting."

The post also says: "His bravery saved lives and prevented an even greater tragedy. This effort reflects the deep respect and gratitude CDC and the broader community hold for Officer Rose’s sacrifice."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told Atlanta-area workers to telework for the remainder of this week, according to an email obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 

The email, sent just before 11 p.m. Sunday by the CDC's Office of Safety, Security and Asset Management, said employees affected by Friday's lockdown at the Roybal campus "are granted administrative leave" through Monday.

The message added that metro Atlanta CDC staff "should telework for the remainder of the week" through Friday. The agency made an exception for staff providing certain services such as critical lab work or animal care. 

Officials would send specific instructions on how workers can retrieve equipment on Tuesday, according to the message.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declined to comment on the record about when CDC employees will return to work.

An armed sheriff’s deputy manned the door Monday at the CVS where the shooter opened fire toward the CDC on Friday afternoon. Directly across the street, a steady stream of mourners left notes and flowers at a growing tribute for slain DeKalb County police Officer David Rose.

A woman walking her dog wiped tears from her eyes after dropping off a bouquet of white roses.

Another mourner, a former CDC employee, left a note and a small American flag as a tribute.

“The man was a hero,” said Julie Edelson, who worked for 10 years as a health policy analyst at the CDC.

She said Rose put his life on the line to save others, saying he represented “all that’s right in the world.”

Edelson said she was horrified Friday when she heard about the shooting and thought of her former co-workers sheltering inside. They’re all devoted to making the world better through their work in public health, she said.

“I love the institution. I love the people that work there,” she said. “The idea that they have become vilified by the political discourse is hurtful and harmful in every way.”