CDC union condemns vaccine misinformation after shooter blamed COVID vaccine for depression

A Georgia man who wanted to send a message against COVID-19 vaccines fired over 180 times with a long gun at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's headquarters in Atlanta, killing a police officer, authorities said.

Patrick Joseph White, 30, who has been identified as the shooter in the attack late Friday at the CDC, tried to get into the complex but was stopped by guards before driving to a pharmacy across the street and opening fire, authorities said. White took his own life during the attack.

A union representing CDC workers said the shooting was not random and “compounds months of mistreatment, neglect, and vilification that CDC staff have endured.” It demanded that federal officials condemn vaccine misinformation, saying it puts scientists at risk.

Here's what to know about the shooting and the continuing investigation:

The barrage of gunfire unleashed by White left bullet marks in windows across the sprawling campus, police said. At least four CDC buildings were hit, CDC Director Susan Monarez said on the social platform X.

The bullets pierced “blast-resistant” windows, pinning employees down, and more than 500 shell casings were recovered, authorities said.

David Rose, a DeKalb County police officer, was fatally wounded while responding. Rose, a 33-year-old former Marine who served in Afghanistan, graduated from the police academy in March.

White was found on the second floor of a building across the street from the campus and died at the scene, Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said. His death was due to a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Chris Hosey.

The American Federation of Government Employees, Local 2883, said the CDC and leadership of the Department of Health and Human Services must provide a “clear and unequivocal stance in condemning vaccine disinformation.”

Such a public statement by federal officials is needed to help prevent violence against scientists, the union said.

“Their leadership is critical in reinforcing public trust and ensuring that accurate, science-based information prevails,” it said in a statement.

Fired But Fighting, a group of laid-off CDC employees, has said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is directly responsible for the villainization of the workforce through “his continuous lies about science and vaccine safety, which have fueled a climate of hostility and mistrust.”

Public health leaders have been experiencing harassment and violence around the country since anti-vaccine vitriol took root during the pandemic. Kennedy has amplified the rhetoric, repeatedly making false and misleading statements about the safety of immunizations.

He told staffers over the weekend that “no one should face violence while working to protect the health of others,” without addressing the impact of anti-vaccine rhetoric.

HHS Communications Director Andrew Nixon said Monday in a statement that Kennedy “has unequivocally condemned the horrific attack and remains fully committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of CDC employees.” Nixon added that Rose's “sacrifice to protect the CDC on its darkest day will never be forgotten.”

Thousands of people who work on critical disease research are employed on the campus. The union said some staffers huddled in various buildings until late at night Friday, while more than 90 young children were locked down inside the CDC's Clifton School.

The union said CDC employees should not be required to immediately return to work after such a traumatic event.

It said windows and buildings should first be fixed and made “completely secure.” The union also called for “perimeter security on all campuses” until the investigation is completed and the results are shared with staffers.

White was living with his parents, and his father contacted police and identified his son as the possible shooter. The father said White was upset over the death of his dog and became fixated on the COVID-19 vaccine, according to law enforcement officials.

Authorities recovered documents and electronic devices at the family’s suburban Atlanta home that are being analyzed, as well as five firearms including a gun belonging to the father that was used in the attack, authorities said.

White did not have a key to his father's gun safe, Hosey said: “He broke into it.”

The documents recovered by authorities “expressed the shooter’s discontent with the COVID-19 vaccinations,” and White had written about wanting to make “the public aware of his discontent with the vaccine,” Hosey added.

White also recently verbalized thoughts of suicide, which led to law enforcement being contacted several weeks before the shooting, Hosey said. His father told police he blamed the COVID-19 vaccine for making him depressed and suicidal, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press.

A neighbor told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that White “seemed like a good guy” but spoke with her multiple times in unrelated conversations about his distrust of COVID-19 vaccines.

“He was very unsettled, and he very deeply believed that vaccines hurt him and were hurting other people,” Nancy Hoalst told the paper. “He emphatically believed that.”

But Hoalst said she never believed White would be violent: “I had no idea he thought he would take it out on the CDC.”

A bullet hole is visible in the door of a CVS pharmacy on Saturday, August 9, 2025, near where police say a man was shooting at the headquarters of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta (AP Photo/Jeff Amy)

The notable bullet marks on the windows of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters are visible on Sunday Aug. 10, 2025. (Miguel Martinez/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)

This photo provided by Georgia Bureau of Investigations Patrick Joseph White. ( Georgia Bureau of Investigations via AP)

People leave flowers Monday, Aug. 11, 2025, at a makeshift memorial in honor of David Rose, the officer who was killed in the shooting at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Charlotte Kramon)

The notable bullet marks on the windows of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters are visible from Clifton Rd, on Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025. (Miguel Martinez/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)

A bullet hole is visible in the door of a CVS pharmacy on Saturday, August 9, 2025, near where police say a man was shooting at the headquarters of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta (AP Photo/Jeff Amy)

A lone bouquet sits outside a CVS pharmacy on Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025, near where police say a man was shooting at the headquarters of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta (AP Photo/Jeff Amy)

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — For six innings, the Tampa Bay Rays were in complete control again.

Then they unraveled in a hurry.

Drew Rasmussen squandered a two-run lead on the mound, Tampa Bay's bullpen let the game get away and the Rays stumbled to a 7-3 loss against the Cleveland Guardians in their American League Championship Series opener Monday night.

Staked to a 2-0 advantage, Rasmussen gave up a leadoff homer to rookie Chase DeLauter in the sixth but retired the next three batters.

With two relievers ready and the bottom of the Guardians order due up, manager Kevin Cash sent out Rasmussen for the seventh. His first pitch was launched 436 feet to center field by light-hitting catcher Patrick Bailey for a tying home run that chased the All-Star right-hander.

“Cashy checked in with me and I told him I was good,” said Rasmussen, who had permitted just one run over 27 2/3 innings until DeLauter went deep. “Unfortunately, it just didn’t unfold the way we wanted.”

Nothing went right for the Rays after that.

José Ramírez reached on an infield single to start the eighth and DeLauter drilled a double off losing pitcher Tyler Wells, putting runners at second and third. One out later, left-hander Ian Seymour entered to face left-handed hitter Nathaniel Lowe and allowed a two-run single on an 0-2 fastball as the Guardians grabbed a 4-2 lead.

It was the first deficit this postseason for the AL East champion Rays, who had four days off following a three-game sweep of the New York Yankees in their Division Series. In the opener of that matchup, Rasmussen carried a no-hitter for 7 2/3 innings on the way to a 1-0 victory.

This time, Tampa Bay fell apart late.

After a home run by Cedric Mullins trimmed the deficit to 4-3 in the bottom of the eighth, Cole Sulser yielded a leadoff single to slumping Angel Martínez in the ninth and balked him to second base. Two outs later, Ramírez's soft RBI single made it 5-3.

But the Guardians weren't done.

Ramírez advanced on a wild pitch by Sulser, who then walked DeLauter. Rays sinkerballer Kevin Kelly entered to face Jo Adell, and Ramírez took off from second on a 1-2 pitch.

Third baseman Junior Caminero left his position to cover the bag, and Adell’s hard-hit grounder through the spot vacated by Caminero turned into a two-run double that put Tampa Bay in a 7-3 hole.

“You know what? We were throwing behind,” Cash said. “We were going to throw to second base. DeLauter had gone the first time. I haven’t spoke to Cami about it. We were going to go to second base. I’m guessing Cami recognized that DeLauter didn’t take off and attempted to go to third base. Totally understand how it seemed like the perfect play for the Guardians."

It was a stunning meltdown at Tropicana Field for the Rays, who matched Milwaukee for the best home record in the majors during the regular season.

They hadn't lost a game started by Rasmussen since July 9, a string of 13 straight wins.

“I thought he was outstanding. I thought he threw an incredible ballgame,” Cash said. “You've got to give credit to Cleveland’s lineup. They really put some pitches on him and some longer at-bats early on. But I felt like after the third or fourth inning, he really settled in.”

After giving up a total of 12 hits to the Yankees in three games, Rays pitchers allowed 14 in Game 1 alone against the Guardians.

“The guys have done everything they needed to do with the time off to keep their deliveries intact. We’re going to give up some hits at times,” Cash said. “That’s a very good team over there. They put a lot of pressure on pitchers and can foul balls off and lengthen out at-bats.”

Things nearly got even worse for the Rays in the ninth, when Caminero and left fielder Jonny DeLuca collided while chasing Brayan Rocchio’s foul ball.

Caminero, who had 42 homers, 101 RBIs and an .885 OPS during the regular season, was shaken up on the play but remained in the game after a brief delay.

Cash said he thought the All-Star slugger “just got the wind knocked out of him” and seemed to be “totally fine now.”

“I feel good overall. Just my head hurts a little bit, but overall good,” Caminero said. “I was just hit in the chest.”

See AP’s full MLB coverage here

Cleveland Guardians' Chase DeLauter hits a home run against the Tampa Bay Rays during the sixth inning in Game 1 of an American League Championship Series baseball game in St. Petersburg, Fla. Monday, Oct. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Cleveland Guardians' Patrick Bailey watches his home run against the Tampa Bay Rays during the seventh inning in Game 1 of an American League Championship Series baseball game in St. Petersburg, Fla. Monday, Oct. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Tampa Bay Rays right fielder Jonny DeLuca and third baseman Junior Caminero collide try to catch a ball hit by Cleveland Guardians' Brayan Rocchio during the ninth inning in Game 1 of an American League Championship Series baseball game in St. Petersburg, Fla. Monday, Oct. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Tampa Bay Rays right fielder Jonny DeLuca and third baseman Junior Caminero collide try to catch a ball hit by Cleveland Guardians' Brayan Rocchio during the ninth inning in Game 1 of an American League Championship Series baseball game in St. Petersburg, Fla. Monday, Oct. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Ian Seymour reacts after giving up two runs against the Cleveland Guardians during the eighth inning in Game 1 of an American League Championship Series baseball game in St. Petersburg, Fla. Monday, Oct. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)