CDC union condemns vaccine misinformation after shooter blamed COVID
vaccine for depression
[August 12, 2025]
By SUSAN HAIGH
A Georgia man who had blamed the COVID-19 vaccine for making him
depressed and suicidal has been identified as the shooter who opened
fire late Friday on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
headquarters, killing a police officer.
The 30-year-old suspect, who died during the attack, had also tried to
get into the CDC’s headquarters in Atlanta but was stopped by guards
before driving to a pharmacy across the street and opening fire, a law
enforcement official told The Associated Press on Saturday.
The man, identified as Patrick Joseph White, was armed with five guns,
including at least one long gun, the official said, speaking on
condition of anonymity because of not being authorized to discuss the
investigation publicly.
A union representing workers at the CDC said the shooting was not random
and “compounds months of mistreatment, neglect, and vilification that
CDC staff have endured." It demanded federal officials condemn vaccine
misinformation, saying it was putting scientists at risk.
Here's what to know about the shooting and the continuing investigation:
An attack on a prominent public health institution
Police say White opened fire outside the CDC headquarters in Atlanta on
Friday, leaving bullet marks in windows across the sprawling campus. At
least four CDC buildings were hit, Director Susan Monarez said on X.
DeKalb County Police Officer David Rose was fatally wounded while
responding. Rose, 33, a former Marine who served in Afghanistan, had
graduated from the police academy in March.
White was found on the second floor of a building across the street from
the CDC campus and died at the scene, Atlanta Police Chief Darin
Schierbaum said. The police chief added that “we do not know at this
time whether that was from officers or if it was self-inflicted.”
The Georgia Bureau of Investigations said the crime scene was “complex”
and the investigation would take “an extended period of time."
CDC union calls for condemnation of vaccine misinformation and
tighter security
The American Federation of Government Employees, Local 2883, said the
CDC and leadership of the Department of Health and Human Services must
provide a “clear and unequivocal stance in condemning vaccine
disinformation.”
Such a public statement by federal officials is needed to help prevent
violence against scientists, the union said in a news release.
“Their leadership is critical in reinforcing public trust and ensuring
that accurate, science-based information prevails,” the union said.
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A bullet hole is visible in the door of a CVS pharmacy on Saturday,
August 9, 2025, near where police say a man was shooting at the
headquarters of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
in Atlanta (AP Photo/Jeff Amy)
 Fired But Fighting, a group of
laid-off CDC employees, has said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
is directly responsible for the villainization of CDC’s workforce
through "his continuous lies about science and vaccine safety, which
have fueled a climate of hostility and mistrust.”
Kennedy reached out to staff on Saturday, saying “no one should face
violence while working to protect the health of others.”
In a statement provided Monday, HHS Communications Director Andrew
Nixon said Kennedy “has unequivocally condemned the horrific attack
and remains fully committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of
CDC employees.” Nixon added that Rose's “sacrifice to protect the
CDC on its darkest day will never be forgotten.”
Thousands of people who work on critical disease research are
employed on the campus. The union said some staff were huddled in
various buildings until late at night, while more than 90 young
children who were locked down inside the CDC's Clifton School.
The union said CDC staff should not be required to immediately
return to work after experiencing such a traumatic event. In a
statement released Saturday, it said windows and buildings should
first be fixed and made “completely secure."
“Staff should not be required to work next to bullet holes,” the
union said. “Forcing a return under these conditions risks
re-traumatizing staff by exposing them to the reminders of the
horrific shooting they endured.”
The union also called for “perimeter security on all campuses” until
the investigation is fully completed and shared with staff.
Shooter had a fixation with the COVID-19 vaccine
White's father contacted police and identified his son as the
possible shooter. The father said his son had been upset over the
death of his dog and also had become fixated on the COVID-19
vaccine, according to the law enforcement official.
A neighbor of White's told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that
White “seemed like a good guy” but spoke with her multiple times
about his distrust of COVID-19 vaccines in unrelated conversations.
“He was very unsettled, and he very deeply believed that vaccines
hurt him and were hurting other people,” Nancy Hoalst told the
Atlanta newspaper. “He emphatically believed that.”
But Hoalst said she never believed White would be violent: “I had no
idea he thought he would take it out on the CDC.”
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