Who was David Rose? Cop who was killed in shooting near the CDC and Emory University; all you need to know

The officer who lost his life after being shot by a man outside the headquarters of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta on Friday (August 8, 2025) was identified as David Rose, 33, the DeKalb County Police Department said in a news release. He was shot as he was responding to the incident and was taken to nearby Emory University Hospital, where he died of his injuries, the release said, as reported by CNN. Rose joined the department in September 2024 and leaves behind a wife and two children, with another on the way, the release said.

“He was committed to serving the community,” said Interim Police Chief Greg Padrick. “At this time, we’re asking for the community’s prayers for his family, his friends, his loved ones, and the entire DeKalb County Police Department family.”

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said in a statement that Rose served in the Marine Corps and graduated from the DeKalb Police Academy in March 2025, news agency AP reported, citing the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.


Chaos unfolded outside the headquarters of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta on Friday, after a man opened fire, leaving bullet marks in windows across the sprawling campus and killing a police officer before he was found dead in a nearby building, authorities said.

The attack, which unfolded near neighboring Emory University, prompted a massive law enforcement response to one of the nation’s most prominent public health institutions, but no one else was reported to be injured. At least four CDC buildings were hit, Director Susan Monarez said in a post on X. Images shared by employees showed multiple agency buildings with bullet-pocked windows, underscoring the breadth of the damage to a site where thousands of scientists and staff work on critical disease research.

Made the ultimate sacrifice, says FBI Director Kash Patel on cop’s death

Before the name of the deceased police officer was released, FBI Director Kash Patel said the law enforcement officer was a hero who “made the ultimate sacrifice.” “Pray for the family, friends, and colleagues of this hero who acted quickly to defend others and made the ultimate sacrifice,” Patel said in a post on X. “The FBI will offer them our full support.”

CDC Director honored police officer

The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention honored the law enforcement officer who was killed on Friday after a shooter fired on at least four buildings. “We at @CDCgov are heartbroken by today’s attack on our Roybal Campus, which remains on lockdown as authorities investigate the shooting,” Director Susan Monarez said in a post on X. “A courageous local law enforcement officer gave their life, and another was injured, after a gunman opened fire on at least four CDC buildings.”

She thanked local law enforcement and security for acting “immediately and decisively” to respond to the threat. The gunman was found on the second floor of a building across the street from the CDC campus and died at the scene, Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said. He added that “we do not know at this time whether that was from officers or if it was self-inflicted.”

The shooter was armed with a long gun, and authorities recovered three other firearms at the scene, according to a law enforcement official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation. The gunman’s motive is still unknown this early in the investigation, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said.