Chaos erupted outside the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters in Atlanta when a masked gunman unleashed a hail of bullets, tragically ending the life of a brave DeKalb County police officer.
On Friday evening, a violent attack unfolded as the shooter targeted multiple CDC buildings and a nearby CVS at Emory University, leaving the community in lockdown and mourning the loss of Officer David Rose.
The horror began around 4:50 p.m. when the suspect, described as a white male armed with two handguns, a rifle, and a shotgun, started firing at the CDC campus. Witnesses saw him approach the steps, drop a backpack, and open fire, shattering windows and sending shockwaves through the area near Emory University. Bullet holes in the CDC headquarters became grim evidence of the assault, splashed across social media for all to see.
Amid the gunfire, Officer David Rose was struck by the assailant’s bullets. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, but despite every effort, he succumbed to his injuries. This hero leaves behind a pregnant wife and two children, a heartbreaking reminder of the cost of duty.
“This evening, there is a wife without a husband,” said DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson. Let’s not just nod in agreement to her call for support—let’s demand real action to protect those who protect us, instead of the usual empty progressive platitudes.
The gunman didn’t stop at the CDC, moving across the street to a CVS at Emory University. He was later found on the second floor of that building with a fatal gunshot wound, though police have yet to confirm if it was self-inflicted. At least no other civilians or officers were harmed in this rampage.
The CDC campus, home to a daycare with 92 unharmed children, remained locked down for hours as authorities secured the area and reunited families. Emory University issued an urgent alert around 5 p.m., instructing students to “run” and “hide” as the threat loomed. The lockdown there was lifted by 6:30 p.m., but the tension lingered like a bad policy that just won’t go away.
“We have friends and their kids who were on lockdown,” noted an unidentified CDC worker. If only our leaders prioritized safety over political correctness, maybe these nightmares would be less frequent.
“I have very close colleagues who were locked down in the office at CDC, cowering or sheltering in place,” shared another CDC employee. Hearing that, you’d think we’d stop obsessing over social agendas and start focusing on real security for our institutions.
Law enforcement revealed the shooter might have blamed a personal illness on the COVID-19 vaccine, based on family interviews, though no official motive has been confirmed. The suspect’s father had warned authorities earlier that day, believing his son was suicidal. It’s a tragic twist, but let’s not rush to judgment—facts over feelings, always.
Local, state, and federal officers swarmed the scene, with videos capturing rapid gunfire that sounded, as nearby deli owner Brandy Giraldo put it, “like fireworks going off.” That’s not a celebration we want near our universities or federal buildings, yet here we are, cleaning up another mess while some still push divisive narratives over solutions.
A resident’s video recorded eight shots, a pause, then over a dozen more in quick succession, while a police cruiser took nearly a dozen hits to its windshield and hood. It’s a stark image of law enforcement under siege, something too many ignore when crafting their utopian policies.
“We at the CDC are heartbroken by today’s attack on our Roybal Campus,” health officials stated. Heartbreak won’t cut it—how about ensuring our critical facilities aren’t soft targets for the next unhinged individual?
Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr expressed horror on X, saying, “We are horrified by the news out of Emory University.” He’s right to be, and his offer to assist law enforcement is a step in the right direction, unlike the usual hand-wringing from certain circles.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens hinted at the shooter being a “known person” with undisclosed interests. That’s cryptic enough to raise eyebrows, but let’s hope transparency wins out over the typical bureaucratic smokescreen. Turns out, actions have consequences, and clarity shouldn’t be a casualty here.