Late Friday night, a Georgia man went on an armed attack spree against the local – and national – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) headquarters in Atlanta. The unexpected attack left significant devastation in its wake and unfortunately claimed the life of a police officer. Patrick White, the assailant named, fired over 180 rounds. His targeted attack caused damage to over 150 windows across four different CDC buildings. Even as local authorities told Fox13 they were conducting an active and ongoing investigation into White’s death, they still have not clarified whether he was shot by police or if he shot himself.
This tragic death comes against a backdrop of rising hostility towards public health. It brings to the forefront the continued fight against vaccine hesitancy in the United States. We know that national influencers like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are big leaders in the national anti-vaccine movement. President Trump picked him to lead the nation’s health agencies. Kennedy frequently spreads false and misleading claims about the safety and effectiveness of Covid-19 vaccines. He has been called out for spreading dangerous misinformation about other immunizations.
On the day of the attack, Kennedy flew down to Atlanta to meet with CDC Director Susan Monarez. After the attack, he released a public statement calling for the respect and protection of health workers.
“No one should face violence while working to protect the health of others.” – Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Kennedy further claimed that federal health officials were “actively undermining CDC staff” during this particular storm. Social media was buzzing with excitement late Friday night when Monarez posted the statement on his social media channels. He assured the damage’s extent but emphasized the emotional toll it will take on CDC personnel.
During a weekend leadership meeting at the CDC, Dr. Jerome Adams reflected on the gravity of the situation, urging health leaders to be mindful of their words and their potential impact on public perception.
“We have to understand people are listening.” – Dr. Jerome Adams
Adams further expressed worries about the consequences of false vaccine information, noting,
“When you make claims that have been proven false time and time again about safety and efficacy of vaccines, that can cause unintended consequences.”
Tim Young, a mental health advocate, cautioned that these types of episodes can have a permanent impact on mental health. He warned that this kind of misinformation “has an impact on people’s mental health,” and that it will eventually “result in violence.”
CDC staff and other personnel are still personally affected by the after-effects of the attack. They figure repairing the damage by replacing windows and cleaning up could take weeks and possibly months. The extent of the destruction became clearly evident during the leadership meeting, prompting discussions about the safety and security of public health officials.