DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will be closed on Monday with employees working remotely as the organization deals with the aftermath of Friday’s shooting.
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Elizabeth Soda, a CDC worker, shared photos of the bullet holes on the floor where she works. She expressed her immediate concern for her colleagues after the shooting.
“I’m overwhelmed,” Soda told Channel 2’s Eryn Rogers. “I’m extremely grateful for the first responders, but I’m so heartbroken and so angry that we’re even in this position.”
Investigators said 30-year-old Patrick Joseph White targeted the CDC, reportedly blaming the COVID-19 vaccine for his health issues. Agents have not released any photos of White as they continue to investigate.
DeKalb County Officer David Rose died after he was shot responding to the scene. The county shared the link to a GoFundMe organized to provide support to Rose’s wife and children.
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On Sunday afternoon, current and former CDC workers gathered in Piedmont Park to express their fears and concerns following the shooting. Many voiced their apprehension about returning to work.
According to ABC News, White believed the COVID-19 vaccine was making him sick and causing depression.
“He thought the vaccines were killing him and that people needed to know the truth,” said a neighbor who didn’t want to be identified, adding that she didn’t agree with him, but would listen.
Health experts continue to emphasize the safety and effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccines. Some individuals at the gathering suggested that Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s vocal skepticism of vaccines may have contributed to the violence.
“The gentleman who opened fire on the CDC had some really deeply held beliefs about a COVID-19 vaccine, beliefs we’ve heard our own Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy repeat over the last several years since before he was even in this position,” Aryn Backus, a former federal employee, told Channel 2 Action News. “We just want to shed light that those words have had consequences at this point, a police officer died heroically protecting the people at the CDC.”
Kennedy did express his support for CDC workers on Saturday.
According to an email sent to ABC News, cleanup and repairs are underway, with additional roving security teams, increased patrols from Atlanta police, and support from Emory University’s security staff.
Staff directly affected by the lockdown are encouraged to take administrative leave. An all-staff meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 12.
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