Gunman in CDC shooting attempted escape before taking own life

DDM News

(DDM) – The gunman responsible for the deadly shooting at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reportedly tried to leave the building before turning the weapon on himself.

Diaspora Digital Media (DDM) gathered from a law enforcement source directly involved in the investigation that 30-year-old Patrick Joseph White attempted to exit the CVS drugstore from where he had opened fire.

The store is located directly across from the main entrance to the CDC headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia.

Investigators believe White had run out of some of his ammunition when he tried to open the door to flee but found it locked.

According to the source, he even fired several rounds at the door in an attempt to break through, but was unsuccessful.

Police confirmed that White was later found dead on the second floor of the CVS store after a tense lockdown that lasted well into the night.

Authorities have not yet officially disclosed whether White died from police gunfire or a self-inflicted wound.

At one point during the standoff, an officer from the Emory University Police Department fired at White using their issued .45 caliber handgun.

It remains unclear whether that shot struck or injured the gunman.

The attack has rattled both law enforcement and public health workers, given its proximity to one of the world’s foremost disease control institutions.

The motive behind the shooting remains under investigation.

In a sign of the seriousness of the incident, US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. visited the CDC offices on Monday.

Two individuals familiar with the matter confirmed the visit to CNN, although no public statement was made on-site.

The CDC shooting comes at a time of heightened security awareness in the United States following several high-profile public shootings this year.

According to the Gun Violence Archive, the US has already recorded hundreds of mass shooting incidents in 2025 alone.

Experts note that attacks near critical national health infrastructure can have far-reaching psychological effects, even if operations are not directly impacted.

The CDC, founded in 1946 and headquartered in Atlanta since its inception, plays a crucial role in monitoring public health threats, conducting disease research, and coordinating national health responses.

Its location has long been considered a secure zone, with federal and local law enforcement maintaining regular patrols.

The investigation into how White accessed the CVS near the CDC and managed to carry out the attack is ongoing.

Officials say more information will be released once ballistics reports and surveillance footage analyses are complete.

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