RFK Jr. posted fishing pics as CDC reeled from shooting linked to vaccine disinfo

A tragic shooting incident on Friday evening at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) headquarters in Atlanta has left the community shaken. The attack resulted in the death of a local police officer and left multiple agency buildings marked with gunfire. Fortunately, CDC staff and civilians were unharmed, but the atmosphere among employees was described as one of fear and vulnerability. This distressing event has intensified scrutiny on Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a prominent anti-vaccine advocate. Critics have accused him of inciting violence through his contentious rhetoric against vaccines. Kennedy took to social media to comment on the shooting approximately 18 hours after it occurred, which former US Surgeon General Jerome Adams characterized as a lackluster response in a critical piece published in Stat. Interestingly, Kennedy had shared images from a fishing trip just half an hour prior to addressing the shooting, raising eyebrows about his priorities during such a crisis. While the exact motive behind the shooting remains under investigation, reports indicate that anti-vaccine disinformation may have played a significant role. The alleged assailant, identified as 30-year-old Patrick Joseph White, resided with his parents in Kennesaw, Georgia, about 30 miles from Atlanta. He was fatally shot during the incident, though it remains unclear whether he died from self-inflicted injuries or gunfire from law enforcement. CDC officials later confirmed that the shooting was aimed specifically at the agency. An unnamed law enforcement source told the Associated Press that White had expressed feelings of depression and suicidal thoughts, attributing these emotions to the COVID-19 vaccine. A neighbor corroborated this, stating that White was convinced the vaccine had harmed him. While adverse effects from COVID-19 vaccines can occur, they are exceedingly rare, and the vaccines have been instrumental in saving countless lives throughout the pandemic. "He was very unsettled and he very deeply believed that vaccines hurt him and were hurting other people," said Nancy Hoalst, who lives across the street from White's family, reflecting the profound impact of misinformation on mental health.