2LT International News

ATLANTA, Georgia: A tragic shooting unfolded outside the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) headquarters in Atlanta on August 8, leaving one police officer dead, damaging multiple agency buildings, and shaking one of the nation’s leading public health institutions.

According to authorities, the gunman opened fire from outside the CDC’s sprawling Roybal Campus, striking the windows of at least four separate buildings. CDC Director Susan Monarez confirmed the damage in a post on X, noting that the incident had scarred parts of the facility where thousands of scientists and staff work on critical disease research. Photographs shared by employees showed shattered glass and bullet holes, underscoring the extent of the attack.

The shooting occurred near neighboring Emory University, triggering a massive, multi-agency law enforcement response. No CDC employees or visitors were injured, but the gunman’s barrage claimed the life of Officer David Rose of the DeKalb County Police Department. Rose, a former U.S. Marine, had graduated from the DeKalb Police Academy only in March. “This evening, there is a wife without a husband. There are three children, one unborn, without a father,” DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson said in an emotional statement.

The suspect, armed with a long gun, was later found dead on the second floor of a building across the street from the CDC campus. Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said it was still unclear whether the man died from police gunfire or a self-inflicted wound. Investigators also recovered three additional firearms at the scene. The shooter’s motive remains unknown, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said, emphasizing that it was still early in the investigation.

The sudden gunfire rattled the surrounding community. Employees and diners at The General Muir, a nearby restaurant, hunkered down as a series of rapid shots echoed through the area.

“It sounded like fireworks going off, one right after the other,” said Brandy Giraldo, the restaurant’s chief operating officer. She saw people running past and was warned of an active shooter nearby.

In another tense moment, Anurag Mehta and his wife, learning of the violence, tried unsuccessfully to reach their three-year-old son’s preschool close to the CDC campus.

Monarez assured employees that August 11 would be a remote workday to allow for a complete security assessment before staff returned. In a message to CDC personnel, she expressed “eternal gratitude” to law enforcement officers who responded and offered condolences to Officer Rose’s family.

The CDC complex, Emory University, and their surrounding neighborhoods—usually a quiet, wooded, and affluent stretch of northeast Atlanta—were transformed into a locked-down crime scene. Traffic was sparse, warning sirens blared, and access to the area was restricted.

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp commended the quick action of first responders, linking the incident to another recent act of violence at Fort Stewart.

“Each time, brave first responders rushed toward the danger to subdue the shooter and save lives,” Kemp said. “They remind us just how crucial they are.”