Atlanta: A gunman and a police officer were killed in a shooting near a university in the U.S. city of Atlanta. Local authorities reported that a man opened fire outside the headquarters of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, killing a police officer before being found dead in a nearby building.
According to Qatar News Agency, the attack, which occurred close to the campus of neighboring Emory University, prompted a massive law enforcement response to one of the nation’s most prominent public health institutions. No other injuries were reported.
Photos shared by staff showed several CDC buildings with bullet holes, highlighting the extent of the damage at a facility where thousands of scientists and employees work on research into serious diseases. Authorities later confirmed that the gunman was found dead on the second floor of a building facing the university campus.
Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said it is not yet known whether the suspect died from police gunfire or from a self-inflicted shot, noting that three additional firearms were found at the scene.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens stated that the shooter’s motive remains unknown at this early stage of the investigation.
It is worth noting that shootings at US schools and universities are recurring incidents, often resulting in dozens of deaths and injuries.