CDC Shooter Dies by Suicide After Firing Nearly 200 Rounds in Atlanta

Patrick Joseph White, a 30-year-old Georgia man, carried out a shooting at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters, firing nearly 200 rounds and breaking about 150 windows across six buildings. He obtained the firearms by breaking into his father’s locked gun safe and used one of his father's guns during the attack. White had expressed strong discontent with COVID-19 vaccines in written documents found during a search of his home, and his family reported that he believed the vaccine was contributing to his depression and suicidal thoughts. Authorities had been contacted weeks before the shooting due to White's verbalized suicide ideation. The attack resulted in the death of a police officer, and White died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the scene. Following the incident, officials are conducting a security threat assessment at the CDC and have not detected increased threats to CDC employees.