AILSA CHANG, HOST:
It's a week of heavy emotions at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. Employees there are gathering to remember an August 2025 shooting that killed a police officer and left many people connected to the CDC shaken. Also marking the one-year anniversary is health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Kennedy spoke at a CDC ceremony today to honor the fallen officer. Jess Mador from member station WABE in Atlanta was at the CDC and joins us now. Hi, Jess.
JESS MADOR, BYLINE: Hi.
CHANG: So first, can you just remind us how this shooting unfolded at the CDC last August? What happened?
MADOR: Yeah, it was afternoon rush hour, just a typical day, and suddenly a gunman opened fire outside the CDC's main campus. He shot hundreds of rounds toward the buildings, shattering windows and killing 33-year-old DeKalb County police officer David Rose before turning the gun on himself. And investigators later identified him as Patrick Joseph White. He left behind writings expressing his discontent with the COVID-19 vaccine.
CHANG: And what was the scene like at the CDC today?
MADOR: The official events with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. were off limits to reporters. But what we know is that RFK junior appeared at a morning ceremony with CDC staff. They unveiled a plaque honoring Officer Rose, and then in the afternoon, Kennedy, along with National Institutes of Health director and Acting CDC director Jay Bhattacharya hosted a town hall event with staff, and that was also off-limits to journals.
CHANG: Off-limits - but I understand that you did have a chance to speak to some people who attended the events. What did you hear from them?
MADOR: I did. I've spoken to multiple current and former CDC employees, and there's a mix of emotions. A lot of people feel Kennedy's visit overshadowed the remembrance of Officer Rose. And, you know, for others, today is just another reminder of a traumatic year for the agency. The CDC's had hundreds of employees leave, funding cuts, program cuts, and that's all been under RFK Jr.
Here's one employee who was there on the day of the shooting hiding in a building, and she was there again today. She asked NPR not to use her name because she's not authorized to speak for the CDC and fears retribution.
UNIDENTIFIED CDC EMPLOYEE: Of all people, we felt like that was odd. Of all days, to have the one person who is most responsible for the entire buckling and, like, crushing of this institution to be here on this day is pretty offensive. I don't know. I'm not sure who decided that that was a good idea.
CHANG: Well, what does the Trump administration say about the CDC cuts?
MADOR: Administration officials continue to say that cuts were needed to curb, you know, what it calls waste fraud and abuse at federal agencies. And now, this week, the Senate has confirmed Dr. Erica Schwartz to head the CDC. She'll be the first permanent director in about a year. She was previously deputy surgeon general during the First Trump administration, and now she inherits a CDC where morale is low. Employees tell me they're hopeful about the mission of protecting public health, and they're hopeful the agency can continue to do its work, especially in light of recent outbreaks - you know, measles, the flu, cyclosporiasis just this year. And tomorrow, there will be a memorial service for Officer Rose at a church near the CDC, and that is open to the community.
CHANG: That is Jess Mador with WABE in Atlanta. Thank you, Jess.
MADOR: Thank you so much. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.
