An internal CDC email reviewed by STAT indicates that Patrick Joseph White likely tried to enter the agency’s Atlanta campus on Aug. 6, captured on security cameras and stopped at the first guard station. Investigators believe the visit was reconnaissance for the Aug. 8 attack; CDC security protocols prevented him from entering the campus before the shooting. During the assault White fired hundreds of rounds from across the street; many were stopped by blast-resistant glass. No CDC staff were injured, but police officer David Rose was killed and White died by a self-inflicted wound. Agency officials said White targeted the CDC because of Covid-19 and the vaccine, while his father emphasized mental illness as a primary factor. The CDC has increased security, added guards, and held internal briefings amid staff concerns about vulnerabilities. More than 750 current and former HHS employees urged Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to stop spreading misinformation, while Kennedy publicly expressed support for CDC workers. Cleanup is underway and some employees have returned to the Atlanta campus.