ATLANTA (Georgia, US), Aug 9 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A police officer was killed after authorities say an active shooter opened fire near the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) headquarters and Emory University’s Atlanta campus on Friday afternoon.
A DeKalb County Police officer, who officials have not yet identified, was taken to a local hospital after the shooting, where he was in critical condition and later pronounced dead, officials said in a press conference Friday evening.
Lorraine Cochran-Johnson, DeKalb County CEO, said it was a “dark day” for the county. The officer leaves behind a wife, who is pregnant, and two children, she said.
The Atlanta Police Department said the suspect in the shooting was found dead from a gunshot wound, which may have been self-inflicted. No civilians were shot in the incident, police said.
Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said during an earlier press conference that the suspect shot multiple rounds at the CDC building, breaking windows.
There were 92 children at a day care center on the CDC campus at the time, who were unharmed, police added.
The gunfire was reported at 4:50 p.m.
Responding DeKalb County police officers located the suspect on the second floor of the Emory Point CVS Pharmacy across the street from the CDC building and attempted to engage the person when gunfire was exchanged, police said.
Four people were transported to an area hospital for stress and anxiety-related reasons, the police chief said.
Shortly after the shooting was reported, a shelter-in-place order was put in place on the Emory University campus and later lifted. “RUN. HIDE. FIGHT. Avoid the area,” the university said in an alert Friday afternoon.
FBI Atlanta and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation are investigating the incident. — NNN-AGENCIES
