You Won’t Believe the Motive Given by the Gunman Who Opened Fire at the CDC Headquarters

A gunman from Georgia opened fire at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters campus on August 8. The motive the gunman cited for his actions is linked to a controversial public health action encouraged by health officials in recent years.

The scenes from the areas where the gunman opened fire are gruesome and extremely difficult to observe, so please consider this a warning before reading further to learn more details about the CDC gunman's actions on August 8.

Below, we report on the grim details of the CDC gunman's shots fired at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters in Georgia. We also explore the fallout from the incidents, if there have been any casualties, and what the response has been in the aftermath of these events.

Keep reading to learn more about the CDC shooter and the reason he gave for his actions.

According to a gruesome report published in NPR, a 30-year-old man claimed that the COVID-19 vaccine he had taken made him "depressed and suicidal," hence his evil actions.

The shooter "was stopped by guards before driving to a pharmacy across the street and opening fire late Friday afternoon," according to NPR, which also reported that the shooter was brandishing five guns.

"The shooting left gaping bullet holes in windows across the CDC campus, where thousands work on critical disease research," per NPR. "Employees huddled under lockdown for hours while investigators gathered evidence. Staff was encouraged to work from home Monday or take leave."

CDC Director Susan Monarez wrote on her X account that "at least four CDC buildings" were shot at, and DeKalb County Police Department Officer David Rose was shot and killed while responding to the active shooter.

According to ABC News, the shooter, Patrick Joseph White, "is believed to have struggled with his mental health...As he grappled with those issues, sources said, White had become increasingly fixated on the COVID-19 vaccine as a source of his grievances."

The shootout occurred at a CVS store across the street from the CDC around 5 p.m. on August 8, where "dozens of bullets" were fired, though no CDC employees or civilians were reported injured, per The New York Times.

"One neighbor...said White would sit on [the neighbor's] porch for long stretches, often complaining that after he got the COVID-19 shot, he had lost a lot of weight, developed problems swallowing, and gastrointestinal issues. And, the neighbor said, he believed the media and government weren't covering it," according to the ABC News report.

Per The New York Times, "Law enforcement officials said they found the gunman dead on the second floor of the drugstore. It was not clear whether he was killed by a shot fired by law enforcement or by a self-inflicted wound."

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., wrote on his X account the following day: "We know how shaken our public health colleagues feel today. No one should face violence while working to protect the health of others."