A Georgia man who opened fire on the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters, shooting dozens of rounds into the sprawling complex and killing a police officer, had blamed the COVID-19 vaccine for making him depressed and suicidal, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press on Saturday.
The 30-year-old shooter also tried to get into the CDC’s headquarters in Atlanta but was stopped by guards before driving to a pharmacy across the street and opening fire late on Friday afternoon, the official said. He was armed with five guns, including at least one long gun, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to publicly discuss the investigation.
DeKalb County Police Officer David Rose was mortally wounded while responding.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, whose skepticism of vaccines has been a cornerstone of his career, voiced support for CDC employees on Saturday. But some laid-off CDC employees said Kennedy shares responsibility for the violence and should resign.
CDC shooter identified
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation named Patrick Joseph White as the shooter, but authorities have not said whether he was killed by police or killed himself.
The suspect’s fathe
Read More