Atlanta shooting near CDC, Emory University leaves suspect dead, officer wounded

A suspected shooter near the campuses of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Emory University is dead and one law enforcement officer is injured after police responded to reports of an active shooter on Friday, authorities said.

Authorities said there was no longer a threat to the public. Emory University announced in a post on X that the shelter-in-place order on campus had been lifted, but for people to avoid the area.

At the CDC campus, employees said bullets struck the windows of several buildings.

“We're horrified by the news out of Emory University and praying for the safety of the entire campus community,” Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr said.

Around 6 pm, a warning siren repeatedly sounded near the Emory and CDC campuses.

Emory's main campus, Emory University Hospital and the CDC are surrounded by affluent wooded neighbourhoods in northwest Atlanta. All three institutions line up along Clifton Road. The area is hard to access, and notoriously traffic choked, but on Friday few cars were in evidence.

Staff at a deli near campus locked the doors and hunkered down inside. Brandy Giraldo, General Muir's chief operating officer, said staffers inside heard a string of gunshots.

“It sounded like fireworks going off, one right after the other,” she said.

Gov Brian Kemp praised the efforts of first responders.

“Twice this week, deranged criminals have targeted innocent Georgians,” Kemp said, referring to the shooting at Fort Stewart. “Each time, brave first responders rushed toward the danger to subdue the shooter and save lives, reminding us of just how crucial they are.”