By Nick Valencia | August 21, 2025
ATLANTA— The gunman who opened fire on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted reconnaissance at the CDC’s main campus just days before the shooting, entering the visitor’s center on Wednesday, August 6.
Security video reviewed by CDC security officials and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation indicates a “very high likelihood” that the man seen on tape was the eventual shooter, according to a source with direct knowledge of the investigation.
Though the footage does not confirm his identity with absolute certainty, investigators believe strongly it was him.
According to the source, the individual attempted to enter the CDC visitor’s center but was turned away by on-site security officers. The encounter now appears to have been a prelude to Friday’s attack, which shook the nation’s premier public health agency and raised fresh questions about its vulnerability.
The revelation that the gunman did not strike impulsively comes at a moment of heightened anxiety for the CDC. This week, reduction-in-force notices were finalized for hundreds of employees, adding to the uncertainty and strain already weighing on staff. For many inside the agency, the attempted reconnaissance only compounds fears that the CDC has become not just a political target, but a physical one.
The CDC, long a symbol of scientific authority, has in recent years become a lightning rod for political anger, misinformation, and public mistrust.
Employees still have not yet heard if or when they are expected us back in the office, sources who were not authorized to speak to the press told Nick Valencia News.
This is a developing story.