An armed man, who believed that the coronavirus vaccine caused his illnesses, opened fire on Friday near the headquarters of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, USA, killing a police officer and hitting the facades of several buildings on the CDC campus, law enforcement reported, writes UNN with reference to The New York Times.
Details
The shooter was found shot dead, but no civilians were injured, officials said.
Officials reported the shooter around 5:00 PM local time at a pharmacy directly across from the main entrance to the CDC headquarters. Police found the shooter on the second floor of the pharmacy, but it is not yet clear whether he was wounded in a shootout with police or shot himself, Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said at a press conference on Friday evening.
Police Chief Schierbaum stated that investigators believe the shooter was alone, and his identity is not being disclosed.
According to a high-ranking law enforcement official, the man had apparently been obsessed with the vaccine for a long time. The official added that the man believed that the vaccination was the cause of his physical ailments. The man's father reported him to the authorities earlier on Friday, stating that he had suicidal tendencies.
Officer David Rose of the DeKalb County Police Department was one of the first to arrive at the scene and died, officials said.
33-year-old Officer Rose had two children, and his wife is pregnant with their third. He was only a few weeks away from his first anniversary of police service. He graduated in March and served in the US Marine Corps before becoming an officer.