(ATLANTA, GA) — A police officer was killed when a gunman opened fire near the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) headquarters and the Emory University campus in Atlanta on Friday afternoon, according to authorities.
Patrick Joseph White, 30, of Kennesaw, Georgia, has been identified as the suspected shooter in the incident, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. He died during the incident.
The Atlanta Police Department said the suspect was found dead from a gunshot wound, which may have been self-inflicted. No civilians were shot in the incident, police said.
“There is extensive evidence to collect due to the complex scene. Numerous interviews are being conducted. This investigation will take an extended period of time,” GBI said in a statement.
The officer who was killed, DeKalb County Police Officer David Rose, was fatally shot after responding to the reported gunfire.
He was taken to the hospital in critical condition where he was pronounced dead, officials said at a press conference Friday evening.
“Officer Rose served DeKalb County with courage, integrity, and unwavering dedication. Even in the face of danger was he diligent in his duty to protect our community,” the police department said in a statement posted online late Friday night.
At the earlier press conference, Lorraine Cochran-Johnson, DeKalb County CEO, said it was a “dark day” for the county. The officer leaves behind a wife, who is pregnant, and two children, she said.
The gunfire broke out at 4:50 p.m., prompting a shelter-in-place order at the university and a lockdown at the CDC headquarters.
Responding DeKalb County police officers located the suspect on the second floor of the Emory Point CVS Pharmacy across the street from the CDC building and attempted to engage the person when gunfire was exchanged, police said.
During the shooting, the suspect fired multiple rounds at the CDC building, breaking windows, Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said during an earlier press conference
There were 92 children at a day care center on the CDC campus at the time, who were unharmed, police added.
In the aftermath of the shooting, four other people were transported to an area hospital for stress and anxiety-related reasons, the police chief said.
Shortly after the shooting was reported, a shelter-in-place order was put in place on the Emory University campus and later lifted. “RUN. HIDE. FIGHT. Avoid the area,” the university said in an alert Friday afternoon.
CDC Director Dr. Susan Monarez shared a statement on X on Friday night, saying she and the agency as a whole are “heartbroken by today’s attack on our Roybal Campus, which remains on lockdown as authorities investigate the shooting.”
“Our top priority is the safety and well-being of everyone at CDC,” Monarez continued. “We are actively coordinating with federal, state, and local partners to fully investigate the shooter and this tragic crime.”
In an email to CDC staff, obtained by ABC News, Monarez encouraged employees to “prioritize your well-being, seek support, and reach out for assistance as needed.”
Monday will be a remote workday for all CDC employees, according to the email.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp released a statement on X thanking first responders for rushing “toward the danger to subdue the shooter and save lives.”
“We ask that you join us in holding them in our prayers, along with those harmed this evening near the CDC Center,” Kemp wrote.
FBI Atlanta and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation are investigating the incident.
Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr released a statement Friday, saying, “We’re horrified by the news out of Emory University and praying for the safety of the entire campus community.”
The White House was monitoring the situation, an official told ABC News.
ABC News’ Pierre Thomas, Luke Barr and Kelsey Walsh contributed to this report.
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