RFK Jr. visits CDC in Atlanta one year after gunman's attack and fatal shooting

Caption

A new road sign honoring Officer David Rose leads into the CDC headquarters in Atlanta.

Credit: Sofi Gratas/GPB News

Saturday marks one year since a gunman targeted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, killing one police officer and badly damaging the building. 

Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. visited the CDC on Friday in Decatur to participate in a private ceremony honoring 33-year-old DeKalb County police officer David Rose, who was killed during the shooting last year. 

Employees of the federal agency were invited to attend. 

• RELATED: 'One day at a time': Community mourns Georgia police officer killed in CDC shooting

The road leading into campus has been renamed after Rose, and a plaque in his honor now stands there as well. 

As friends, family and colleagues filed out of the CDC, Public Information Officer Elise Wells described being at the site a year later as surreal, but said the day was more about gratitude. 

“I think he would be proud; I think he would be proud of his sacrifice," Wells said. "I think he would do it all over again, I don’t think he would have any regrets.” 

Wells described Rose as "friendly" and "one of those people you just couldn't help but laugh and smile around." She said the memorial inside was heavily attended by current CDC staff, and that Kennedy gave his condolences. A ceremony will be hosted for Rose on Saturday at a nearby church. 

Around 200 rounds were reportedly fired at the building on Aug. 8, 2025, near the end of the workday while many CDC staff were still working inside. Parents picking up their kids from the day care on campus were stuck in their vehicles. CDC staff, and students at Emory University, were put on lockdown. 

Evidence presented by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation suggest the gunman was against vaccines, specifically expressing "discontent with the COVID-19 vaccine" in documents found at his home.

There were no other injuries or fatalities. But the targeted violence left its mark.

A statement by the National Public Health Coalition, a group made largely up of fired public health workers, emphasizes the "profound" changes over the past year, thanking Rose for his commitment to public safety. 

"As we remember this difficult anniversary, we reaffirm our commitment to supporting CDC, strengthening public health, and ensuring that those who dedicate their lives to protecting others have the support they deserve," the statement reads. "Together, we will continue to fight for the vital role of public health and the healthier future every community deserves." 

Members of the group have called for the resignation of RFK Jr., more recently calling his reccomended changes to childhood vaccine schedules confusing and made "at the expense of children's lives."