CDC staff honor fallen officer on shooting anniversary as Robert F. Kennedy Jr. visits

In August 2025, a shooter fired hundreds of rounds at the CDC’s main campus, killing 33-year-old DeKalb County police officer David Rose before committing suicide; investigators later identified the attacker as Patrick Joseph White, who had expressed anti-vaccine sentiments. On the one-year mark, CDC personnel in Atlanta gathered for a memorial ceremony where Robert F. Kennedy Jr., serving as health secretary, unveiled a plaque honoring Rose.

Later that day, Kennedy and Acting CDC director Jay Bhattacharya, together with NIH leadership, led a town-hall session that was not open to the press. Staff members reported a range of reactions, with some feeling the political presence detracted from the solemn remembrance, while others reflected on a turbulent year marked by staff departures, funding reductions, and recent disease outbreaks. The Senate has confirmed Erica Schwartz as the new permanent CDC director, succeeding a year of interim leadership. A community memorial service for Officer Rose is scheduled at a nearby church.