WASHINGTON: A gunman killed a police officer on Friday near the headquarters of the Centers for Disease Control in the US city of Atlanta before being found dead at the scene, authorities said.

No other people were killed or physically wounded in the shooting, during which multiple rounds were fired in the CDC campus, police said.

“Officers arrived — found a critically injured DeKalb Countypolice officer that was down,” Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said at a press conference.

The police officer was later identified as 33-year-old David Rose of the DeKalb County Police Department. He left behind a pregnant wife and two children, the department said in a statement. The shooter’s identity has not been released.

Schierbaum said it was too early in the investigation to comment on reports by CNN and the New York Times that the gunman blamed the coronavirus vaccine for an unspecified illness he may have had.

The man’s father had reported to authorities that he was suicidal, the reports said. The shooting began before 5pm local time near the CDC campus and a pharmacy, Schierbaum said.

The suspect — who police believe was a single shooter — was found dead on the second floor of a CVS drugstore with a gunshot wound, which may have been self-inflicted.

Published in Dawn, August 10th, 2025