Atlanta marks 1 year since CDC shooting that killed police officer

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — Saturday marks one year since a gunman opened fire at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Atlanta headquarters, killing a police officer in the process.

Here’s a look back at what happened and how the community is remembering DeKalb County Police Officer David Rose.

What happened during the CDC shooting?

On Aug. 8, 2025, 30-year-old Patrick White started shooting at the CDC campus from a CVS Pharmacy across the street at around 4:50 p.m. In all, nearly 200 rounds would hit six buildings, shattering their windows.

Rose, one of the first officers at the scene, was shot and rushed to the nearby Emory University Hospital, where he died. Nobody inside the CDC buildings was injured.

SWAT teams and other law enforcement officers rushed to the incident. White, who believed the COVID-19 vaccine was making him depressed and suicidal, shot and killed himself.

Who was Officer David Rose?

Rose, 33, left behind a pregnant wife and two children. He spent four years with the United States Marine Corps, including a deployment to Afghanistan, and worked as a jailer in Gwinnett County before joining the DeKalb County Police Department.

Rose graduated from the police academy just five months before the shooting.

“When we step out onto these streets, we are ready. When someone calls for help, we don’t hesitate. And when things get tough, and they will, we don’t break,” he told the other members of his class during their graduation ceremony. “Policing isn’t just about enforcing the law, it’s about protecting the vulnerable, standing for justice and being the person who runs toward danger when others run away.”

Rose’s friends and family described him as a family man deeply committed to serving others. He was posthumously awarded a Purple Heart and Medal of Honor.

“David would give his all, he would protect you if you were red, yellow, white, black or green. He wouldn’t care about who you are,” Rose’s mother, Deveane Atkinson-Burnett, told Atlanta News First in the days after his death. “If you needed someone to help and protect you, he would stand in the line for you. And he did.”

How is David Rose being honored?

On Friday, a permanent sign explaining who Rose was and what he did was installed at the CDC’s entrance. Part of the street was also renamed Officer David Rose Parkway.

In May, Rose and 45 other fallen officers were also honored at the DeKalb County Fallen Officers Memorial. The next week, his name was added to the National Law Enforcement Officers’ Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Atkinson-Burnett said she misses her son every day. She wears a bracelet with the words “honor,” “remember,” and “sacrifice,” as well as a dog tag.

“There are days that I’m driving in my car and I’ll start thinking of a memory, and I’ll start crying,” she said. “... The hardest part of this year is knowing he’s not coming back. He’s not coming back.”

Reactions to the anniversary

Officials and politicians are taking to social media to remember Rose on the shooting’s first anniversary.

The DeKalb County Police Department thanked the CDC for naming a roadway for him.

“This lasting tribute ensures his courage, service, and sacrifice will never be forgotten,” the department said. “...Officer Rose’s dedication to protecting others continues to inspire us all. His service will always be remembered, and his legacy will live on.”

Sen. Raphael Warnock said he’s praying for Rose’s family and recognizes the “devastation faced by the entire CDC community.”

“We must ensure CDC employees have the support necessary to do their jobs without fear of violence or retaliation,” he continued.