A deranged gunman unleashed chaos at the CDC headquarters in Atlanta, leaving a trail of destruction and a fallen hero.
On Friday, Patrick Joseph White, a 30-year-old Georgia man, fired over 180 shots into the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention campus, shattering 150 windows and claiming the life of police officer David Rose.
The New York Post reported that the attacker, who blamed the COVID-19 vaccine for his mental health struggles, was stopped by CDC security before continuing his rampage at a nearby pharmacy. White’s death remains a mystery, with authorities unsure if police or suicide ended his spree.
White’s assault began Friday morning, targeting the CDC’s sprawling campus with a barrage of bullets. Glass shards littered rooms as “blast-resistant” windows crumbled under the onslaught.
Building 21, home to CDC Director Susan Monarez’s office, took the brunt of the attack, though no CDC personnel were harmed.
David Rose, a police officer killed in the line of duty, became the tragedy’s heartbreaking centerpiece. Community members honored him with a memorial of flowers at the CDC headquarters on August 11. His sacrifice underscores the risks law enforcement faces when progressive narratives vilify public health institutions.
CDC security guards acted swiftly, halting White’s attack on the campus. Undeterred, he drove to a nearby pharmacy and opened fire again that afternoon. Such reckless violence exposes the dangerous fallout of unchecked anti-vaccine rhetoric.
White’s motivations, rooted in his belief that the COVID-19 vaccine caused his depression and suicidal thoughts, reflect a troubling trend.
“Years of false rhetoric about vaccines and public health were bound to ‘take a toll on people’s mental health,’” said Tim Young, a retired CDC employee. His words, though, dodge the real issue: misinformation fanned by agenda-driven activists.
At least four CDC buildings, including the main guard booth, suffered extensive damage. The agency advised employees to work from home the following week as cleanup began. Replacing windows and restoring the campus could take weeks or months, per a CDC leadership meeting.
US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. toured the battered campus on August 11, joined by HHS Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill and CDC Director Susan Monarez.
“No one should face violence while working to protect the health of others,” Kennedy said in a statement. His words ring hollow when his anti-vaccine stance fuels the very distrust that breeds such attacks.
Kennedy’s visit included a private meeting with Officer Rose’s widow at the DeKalb County Police Department. The gesture, while compassionate, can’t erase the irony of a vaccine skeptic leading the response to an attack sparked by vaccine paranoia. Actions speak louder than photo ops.
Dr. Jerome Adams, former US surgeon general, weighed in on CBS’s “Face the Nation” on August 10. “When you make claims that have been proven false time and time again about the safety and efficacy of vaccines, that can cause unintended consequences,” he said.
Yet, blaming rhetoric alone sidesteps the need for accountability among those who amplify baseless fears. Stephan Monroe, a retired CDC official, called the attack a “generational hit” while standing near Rose’s memorial.
His concern points to a deeper wound: a society fractured by divisive narratives that turn public health into a battleground. The left’s obsession with control and the right’s flirtation with conspiracy both share the blame.
The CDC’s response, detailed in an agency memo, highlighted the attack’s toll on infrastructure and morale. Employees, shaken but unharmed, face a long road to recovery as they navigate a workplace scarred by violence. This isn’t just about broken windows—it’s about broken trust.
White’s rampage didn’t just shatter glass; it exposed the fragility of public discourse. “We have to understand people are listening,” Adams added on CBS. But understanding alone won’t fix a culture where fringe voices drown out reason, pushing unstable minds toward tragedy.
The community’s grief for Officer Rose reflects a shared desire to move forward. Yet, as flowers pile up at his memorial, the nation must confront the toxic mix of misinformation and mental health crises. Ignoring either risks more lives lost to senseless violence.
