by Atlanta (AP) Police reacted to reports of an active shooter at the nearby campuses of Emory University and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday, killing a police officer and a suspected gunman, according to authorities.
According to Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum, multiple shots struck buildings on the CDC’s enormous campus, but no people are thought to have been hurt.
Gregory Padrick, the chief of police for DeKalb County, stated that the deceased officer was shot during the shooting. The cop was rushed to the hospital after suffering critical injuries at the site, according to officials earlier.
Employees of the CDC shared images taken inside the facilities that seem to show multiple windows that had been hit by bullets.
According to a law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the current investigation, the gunman was carrying a long gun, and officials found three additional firearms at the site.
According to Schierbaum, the shooter was discovered on the second floor of a structure across the street from the CDC and passed away there.On Friday, August 8, 2025, in Atlanta, the headquarters sign of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is visible behind a police line. (Photo by Jeff Amy/AP)
According to Schierbaum, we are now unsure if the injury was self-inflicted or the result of cops’ actions. He stated that although a white automobile with an open truck was found at the crime scene and is currently being searched, it is still unknown whether the vehicle belonged to the suspect.
The public is no longer in danger, according to authorities. According to Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, the inquiry is still in its early phases, thus the man’s motivation remains unknown.
A adjacent deli’s employees reported hearing what sounded like a series of gunshots. According to Brandy Giraldo, chief operating officer at The General Muir restaurant, it sounded like fireworks going off one after the other.
Although the campus shelter-in-place order has been withdrawn, Emory University requested people to stay away from the area in a post on X. Around 6 p.m., as police cars parked all over the streets, a warning siren began to blast repeatedly close to the Emory and CDC campuses.
Governor Brian Kemp commended first responders’ efforts.
Referring to the incident at Fort Stewart, Kemp claimed that insane criminals had targeted innocent Georgians twice this week.Every time, courageous first responders hurried to the scene to stop the gunman and rescue lives, serving as a constant reminder of how important they are.
Northeast Atlanta’s wealthy, wooded neighborhoods encircle the CDC, Emory University Hospital, and the main campus of Emory. Clifton Road is lined with all three institutions. Despite being typically congested and difficult to get to, there weren’t many automobiles in the neighborhood on Friday.
According to Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr, we are appalled by the Emory University news and are praying for everyone on campus to be safe.
