Authorities state that the individual who opened fire at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) headquarters in Atlanta, resulting in the death of a police officer, might have been against Covid vaccinations.
Officer David Rose, 33, who completed his training at the police academy in March, succumbed to his injuries in the hospital. Fortunately, no civilians were harmed.
As per reports from US media on Saturday, officials are investigating the possibility that the suspect, Patrick Joseph White, 30, was either unwell or believed he was suffering from symptoms related to a Covid vaccine. White was killed during the incident.
The CDC, responsible for monitoring illness outbreaks in the nation, played a crucial role during the Covid pandemic and has faced significant criticism from vaccine skeptics.
Officer Rose was a veteran of the Marine Corps, having served in Afghanistan.
DeKalb County official Lorraine Cochran-Johnson expressed, "This evening, there is a wife without her husband. There are three children, including one unborn, without a father."
Media accounts indicated that the gunman's father had contacted law enforcement on the day of the shooting, expressing concerns that his son might be suicidal.
A neighbor of White informed the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the suspect had repeatedly voiced distrust towards Covid-19 vaccines.
Nancy Hoalst, a resident across the street from White's family in the Kennesaw area of Atlanta, shared with the newspaper: "He was very troubled and was firmly convinced that vaccines were causing him harm and were detrimental to others. He truly believed that."
A neighbor who spoke with CBS, the BBC's US affiliate, stated that the suspect was very thin and insisted that the Covid vaccine had caused him to feel ill.
She added that his "beliefs were integral to who he was."
CDC Director Susan Monarez expressed that the center was "heartbroken" over the incident.
In a post on X, she mentioned, "DeKalb County police, CDC security, and Emory University acted swiftly and effectively, helping to avert further harm to our staff and community."
During a press conference on Friday, authorities reported that they received word of an active shooter around 16:50 local time (20:50 GMT) that day near the CDC.
Officers from various agencies responded to the scene. Several rounds of gunfire struck buildings on the CDC campus.
Law enforcement indicated that the shooter was "injured by gunfire" but could not clarify whether the injuries were from police fire or self-inflicted.
Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. released a statement expressing the agency's "deep sadness" over the attack that resulted in an officer's death.
"We understand how shaken our public health colleagues feel today. No one should encounter violence while striving to safeguard the health of others," said Kennedy.
Kennedy has previously voiced skepticism regarding the side effects of vaccines, particularly Covid vaccines, and has faced accusations of spreading misinformation.
Some former CDC employees, who were dismissed as part of Elon Musk's initiative to downsize government, criticized Kennedy's statement.
According to the Associated Press news agency, one ex-employee remarked, "Kennedy is directly accountable for the vilification of the CDC workforce through his ongoing fabrications regarding science and vaccine safety, which have contributed to a climate of animosity and distrust."
Another former CDC worker told the outlet that the shooting represented the "physical manifestation of the narrative that has emerged, undermining science and attacking our federal employees."
Reports have indicated that CDC employees have been advised to work from home on Monday.
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