CDC Shooting Highlights Rising Hostility Toward Health Workers

By Staff Writer

ATLANTA — A deadly shooting at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week has reignited concerns about rising hostility toward health workers. Authorities say the gunman, 30-year-old Patrick Joseph White, was angry about COVID-19 vaccines and had voiced suicidal thoughts before the attack.

White fired more than 180 rounds near the CDC campus, killing DeKalb County Police Officer David Rose before dying from a self-inflicted gunshot. Investigators say White had previously written about his discontent with vaccines.

Public health experts warn that the attack is part of a disturbing trend fueled by lingering pandemic-era misinformation and anti-vaccine sentiment.

Health Experts Say Hostility Is No Surprise

“All of us, anybody who stands up for science or vaccines, will at some level get hate mail, a phone call, or even a death threat,” said Dr. Paul Offit, co-inventor of a rotavirus vaccine.

Offit and others say public mistrust — amplified by political rhetoric — has persisted since the height of the pandemic. During COVID-19, health leaders, doctors, and local officials were compared to Nazis or the Taliban, often facing harassment and threats in public settings.

Former CDC employee Sarah Boim called the shooting a “direct result of misinformation,” accusing U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. of playing a key role in spreading it.

Kennedy Condemns Violence, Criticizes CDC

Kennedy, who toured the CDC campus on Monday, condemned the attack and said no one should face violence for protecting public health. However, he also criticized the CDC’s pandemic response, accusing the government of overreaching and providing misleading information.

A spokesperson for Kennedy denied claims that he advances an anti-vaccine agenda, calling the suggestion “pure fiction” and describing his stance as “pro-safety, pro-transparency, and pro-accountability.”

CDC Workers on Edge After Shooting

In the aftermath, CDC employees were advised to remove agency parking decals from their cars and report any threats. Some staff had already stopped wearing uniforms to avoid attention.

CDC Director Dr. Susan Monarez told employees in an all-hands meeting that misinformation endangers both public health and the safety of those working to protect it.

The agency, already facing staff cuts and leadership changes, is now reviewing its security measures.

Anti-Vaccine Violence Has Deep Roots

While the pandemic amplified vaccine hostility, experts note such violence predates COVID-19. In 2019, California state Sen. Richard Pan, a pediatrician, was assaulted by an anti-vaccine activist after Kennedy spoke outside the state Capitol. Protesters displayed posters of Pan’s face with “LIAR” stamped in red paint.

Pan says the rhetoric encourages violence. “And you wonder why someone would go shoot up the CDC,” he said. “Because he basically told them those are the people you should hurt.”