A gunman who believed the Covid-19 vaccine made him sick went on a shooting rampage outside the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta.
The shooter killed one police officer and left windows shattered at multiple buildings belonging to the CDC as terrified students at nearby Emory University sheltered in place.
The college sent out a desperate alert at around 4:50pm pleading with students to ‘RUN. HIDE. FIGHT.’
A little over two hours after the alert was sent out, Atlanta Police confirmed that the sole gunman was dead.
‘There is no ongoing threat to the Emory Campus or the surrounding neighborhood. The incident involved a single shooter, who is now deceased,’ Atlanta Police said in a statement.
No civilians were shot throughout the course of the attack, said Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens.
CNN reported that the shooter’s family members spoke to law enforcement and told them that he blamed his recent illness on the COVID-19 vaccine.
It’s the first indication that the CDC was the intended target of the shooter, who has not yet been identified.
Students at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, were told to run, hide, or fight following the active shooter alert (Pictured: An aerial view of the massive police presence near the college)
Pictured: The terrifying message from Emory University telling students to ‘run, hide, fight’
Pictured: Bullet holes are seen in Building 21 at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is just down the road from Emory University
Pictured: A bullet hole in Building 24 at the CDC, which is connected to Building 21
A Dekalb County police officer was ‘critically injured’ after getting shot. He was taken to the hospital where he later died, officials said at a press conference.
Police officers engaged in a firefight with the suspect in the mixed-use area of Emory Point after he barricaded himself on the second floor of a building containing a CVS pharmacy.
Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said the suspect was hit with gunfire, adding that it wasn’t immediately clear if his injuries were from officers or if they were self-inflicted.
At around 5:45pm, a FOX 5 helicopter spotted what appeared to be a body covered with a sheet in front of a store in the area. It’s not clear if this was the shooter.
There were also reports of bullets hitting two buildings that are part of the CDC’s headquarters. A photo shared to social media showed at least two bullet holes in two separate windows.
A CDC employee told CNN that he saw a man approach the steps in front of the building, pull out a rifle and open fire.
The CDC ultimately wasn’t breached, however, the entire campus was still on lockdown earlier this evening.
Roughly 92 children are still in the employee daycare at the CDC, and the mayor said all of them are safe. Police said they are still making arrangements to reunite them with their parents.
Pictured: An ambulance is seen near Emory Point, where the shooting took place. Its not clear if this is the civilian or the police officer being rushed to the hospital
The roads in and around Emory Point were clogged with both fleeing civilians and police vehicles rushing to the scene
The FBI’s Atlanta office is also aware of the shooting and is ‘coordinating with local partners for any assistance that might be needed.’
Representative Mike Collins, a Republican that represents the suburbs just outside of Atlanta, posted a brief message to social media in the wake of the tragedy.
‘Students at Emory please take cover. Praying for a swift end to this threat,’ he wrote on X.
Also releasing a statement was Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, who pointed out that the CDC shooting represents the second horrific act of violence in the state this week.
The other one he was referring to was the shooting allegedly perpetrated by an Army sergeant at Fort Stewart on Wednesday that injured five soldiers.
‘Twice this week, deranged criminals have targeted innocent Georgians. Each time, brave first responders rushed toward the danger to subdue the shooter and save lives, reminding us of just how crucial they are,’ Kemp said.
Pictured: Two women who appear to be CVS employees hug each other. The shooter barricaded himself in the floor above the CVS while shooting at police officers
‘We ask that you join us in holding them in our prayers, along with those harmed this evening near the CDC Center,’ he concluded.
There have been limited eyewitness accounts of the attack on the CDC, with most only hearing popping sounds.
However, a facial spa worker reported seeing a police officer shoot at the suspect near the CVS.
Makia Jones, 24, who works at Skyn Culture spa, told CNN she was at her desk when she saw this.
‘And then I heard the Emory CDC siren go off, and then it was completely silent. After that, you heard like four to eight gunshots continuously, and then silence again,’ she said.
