ATLANTA – The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has identified the suspected active shooter who was killed on Friday near Emory University and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta as 30-year-old Patrick Joseph White of Kennesaw.
When first asked if White was the suspected active shooter, the GBI replied, “The investigation is active and ongoing. We can’t confirm anything else at this time.” However, a short time later, they confirmed White as the suspect.
RELATED: Emory University Atlanta shooting latest: DeKalb County officer killed, shooter dead
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been updated from the original version. FOX 5 Atlanta has a team of people working to learn more about Patrick White.
GBI takes the lead
What they’re saying:
The GBI says it was called in by both Emory University Police and the Atlanta Police Department to take the lead in the investigation into the shooting on Friday afternoon that resulted in the death of a DeKalb County police officer and the suspect.
‘A known person’
What they’re saying:
During the first press conference on Friday, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said the shooter “is a known person that may have some interest in certain things that I can’t reiterate right now with any confidence until the investigation is fully conducted.”
According to CNN, the shooter’s father called law enforcement before the shooting because he thought his son might be suicidal.
Additionally, CNN is reporting that the police believe the shooter may have been sick or believed he was sick and blamed the illness on the COVID-19 vaccine.
Police officer identified
What we know:
David Rose, 33, of the DeKalb County Police Department, was identified Friday evening as the officer who was killed as he was responding to reports of an active shooter at a CVS on Clifton Road across from CDC’s main campus in Atlanta.
Remembering Officer David Rose
DeKalb County police officer David Rose was shot and killed during an active-shooter incident at a CVS near Emory University.
RELATED: Emory University shooting: Who is Officer David Rose?
On Saturday morning, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens released a new statement, saying Rose was a recent graduate of the DeKalb Police Academy and he was a U.S. Marine before becoming a police officer. Rose left behind his pregnant wife and two children.
Lengthy investigation expected
What they’re saying:
The shooting prompted a massive law enforcement response. Agencies assisting in securing and clearing the scene included the ATF, FBI, Atlanta Police, Brookhaven Police, Chamblee Police, DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office, Dunwoody Police, and the Georgia State Patrol.
RELATED: Emory University Atlanta campus shooter: What we know
They ran towards the danger
Gov. Brian Kemp issues a statement celebrating first responders while mourning the DeKalb County police officer killed.
Officials described the crime scene as complex, with significant evidence to collect and numerous witness interviews in progress. Investigators say the process will take an extended period of time.
The area surrounding the scene of the shooting was closed to traffic for several hours on Friday afternoon and evening and more than 90 children and multiple employees of the CDC were prevented from going home for many hours.
Eventually, the children were reunited with their parents and the CDC employees were allowed to go home.
Increased security
What they’re saying:
Emory University said in a social media post on Saturday morning that it will have an increased police presence on its campus throughout the weekend.
What we don’t know:
At this time, no other information has been released by officials.
