The quiet of an August afternoon near Emory University shattered when gunfire erupted at a CVS on Emory’s campus, sending students and shoppers scrambling for cover. Moments later, Officer David Rose of the DeKalb County Police Department lay mortally wounded. He was a young father whose life was cut short while protecting others.
A sudden tragedy near CDC headquarters
The shooting began around 4:30 p.m. on August 8, prompting Emory officials to announce an “active shooter” at the CVS and urged people to “RUN, HIDE, FIGHT.” The scene was near the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s headquarters in Atlanta. Police were on the scene soon after the alert.
When the shooting stopped, the suspected gunman was found dead on the second story of a building housing a CVS from a gunshot wound. It remains unclear if it was self-inflicted or came from police. Officer Rose, 33, was the only victim killed in the attack.
“This evening there is a wife without a husband, there are three children, one unborn, without a father,” said DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson, her voice heavy with emotion.
A rising officer who answered the call
Rose had joined the department less than a year earlier, in September 2024, serving with the North-Central precinct. His police chief, Gregory Padrick, described his actions as the definition of public service.
“This officer responded to the call as he did, as he was trained to do, and during that incident he received gunfire and he lost his life in this incident,” Padrick said. “He was committed to serving the community. It’s a noble profession… and he gave his life with that commitment to serve others.”
Rose’s death marks the 13th time in DeKalb County history that an officer has been killed by gunfire. The last was Officer Edgar Isidro Flores in 2018.
Shockwaves across Georgia
The motive behind the shooting remains unclear. Atlanta’s police chief, Darin Schierbaum, said the gunman “fired at law enforcement and potentially the CDC,” but did not elaborate.
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp noted this was the second mass shooting in the state in as many days, calling both attacks the work of “deranged criminals” and praising the bravery of first responders who “rushed toward danger to save lives.”
A hero remembered
Rose leaves behind his wife, two children, and a third on the way. According to the Officer Down Memorial Page, Rose is the 13th DeKalb officer to die in the line of duty from gunfire.
“He should be respected for that,” Padrick said simply, a reminder that in moments of crisis, some run away while others, like Officer David Rose, run toward the danger.
