A gunman opened fire on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Atlanta campus late Friday, spraying more than 40 rounds into at least four buildings from a pharmacy across the street, according to law-enforcement officials and internal agency briefings. DeKalb County Police Officer David Rose, 33, was fatally shot as he responded to the scene. The assailant, identified as 30-year-old Patrick Joseph White, was later found dead inside the CVS store; investigators have not determined whether he was killed by police gunfire or took his own life. Authorities are examining evidence that White blamed the Covid-19 vaccine for personal health problems and targeted the CDC in retaliation. Employees on a Saturday video call described feeling like “sitting ducks” as bullets shattered office windows just above their cubicles. The agency instructed staff to work remotely on Monday while a security assessment is conducted. The shooting has intensified scrutiny of rising threats against health officials amid misinformation about vaccines and public-health measures. Former U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams called the attack “a wake-up call,” urging political leaders to “reject rhetoric that dehumanizes those trying to keep us safe.” A union representing CDC workers said the incident “compounds months of mistreatment” linked to vaccine disinformation and demanded stronger protections and a forceful federal response. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose own skepticism of mRNA vaccines has drawn criticism, issued a statement 18 hours after the attack condemning the violence and pledging support for CDC staff. Employees on the agency call questioned leadership about how it plans to counter disinformation and improve security as the CDC faces deep proposed budget cuts and significant workforce losses.