On Aug. 8, a man fired 500 rounds into the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, killing a responding officer and targeting public health workers, reportedly because of his views on vaccines.
It was a brazen act of political violence. Unfortunately, our leaders’ silence will only encourage more of the same.
Gun violence comes in many forms but there are common forces at play. Cultural norms influence the likelihood of gun violence, either suppressing or justifying it. And, of course, the availability and lethality of firearms impacts the likelihood and severity of gun violence.
In the case of the fatal shooting at the CDC, the shooter’s access to many firearms and ammunition was impeded but not prevented by his father’s gun safe. The shooter was reportedly motivated by his beliefs that the COVID-19 vaccine he received was seriously harming his health.
Ironically, no one has been more influential in promoting disinformation and shaping beliefs about the harms associated with vaccines than Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr, who oversees the CDC. He has claimed that COVID-19 vaccines were “the deadliest vaccines ever made,” and are “poisonous.”
CDC scientists and staff relied on the best available evidence during a global pandemic to protect the public. When leaders amplify baseless claims that their work is dangerous or knowingly deceitful, it magnifies the risk of violence and intimidation against them.
Political violence, harm or attempted harm motivated by political aims, can thrive when it goes unchallenged. When influential leaders, public figures and citizens speak out, saying clearly, “Political violence is never acceptable,” it could help prevent future attacks.
Although Kennedy eventually issued a statement condemning the shooting, he has not disavowed his prior statements about the COVID-19 vaccine or the CDC officials involved in vaccine policy. That delay sends a chilling message to CDC staff and public health workers across the country: You’re on your own.
Dr. Jerome Adams, who served as surgeon general during Trump’s first term, condemned the attack and Kennedy’s delayed response to it.
There has also been, shockingly, no direct comment from Trump on the shooting at the CDC. Yet he has expressed outrage over a political appointee being assaulted by two 15 year-olds, deploying the National Guard and attempting to take over the Washington, D.C. police department, despite the violent crime rate being at a 30-year-low.
Political leaders like Trump and Kennedy have a responsibility to condemn all acts of violence, particularly when it threatens the lives and safety of public health workers. Failure to forcefully denounce violence encourages further potential for attacks.
We, like many at the CDC, are public health researchers. We study the data to understand public health threats and promote evidence-based solutions to make communities safer.
In this case, the evidence points to dangerous rhetoric lighting the fuse to a disturbed young man’s fears about his health, leading to violence facilitated by availability of semi-automatic weapons and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.
Speaking out against political violence helps prevent more of it. Our leaders’ words matter. They help enforce the social norms that do not accept any form of violence. Without this leadership, we all become less safe from harm.
Political intimidation strikes at the heart of democracy and public health. We call on every elected official, agency head and community leader to say it plainly: Political violence has no place here. To stay silent is to let violence win.
Furthermore, we urge Trump and Kennedy to stop distorting facts and advancing conspiracy theories that demonize public health officials and other federal workers. Lives are on the line.
Cassandra Crifasi, PhD, MPH, and Daniel Webster, ScD, MPH, are part of the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Comments