DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office is paying tribute to the police officer who died confronting a gunman on Friday near the Emory Atlanta campus.

In a post on Facebook, JSO made statement honoring the life of DeKalb County Officer David Rose, who first joined his department in September 2024.

“Our hearts are with the family, friends, and colleagues of DeKalb County Officer David Rose, who was tragically ambushed and killed in a shooting at Emory University in Georgia,” JSO wrote. “Officer Rose dedicated his life to service, both to his community as a law enforcement officer and to his country as a proud member of the U.S. Marine Corps.”

The shooting, which took place right outside  the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),  prompted a massive law enforcement response to one of the nation’s most prominent public health institutions, but no one else was reported to be injured.

At least four CDC buildings were hit, Director Susan Monarez said in a post on X. Images shared by employees showed multiple agency buildings with bullet-pocked windows, underscoring the breadth of the damage to a site where thousands of scientists and staff work on critical disease research.

The gunman was found on the second floor of a building across the street from the CDC campus and died at the scene, Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said. 

The shooter was armed with a long gun, and authorities recovered three other firearms at the scene, according to a law enforcement official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation.

Rose was 33-years-old and leaves behind a wife, two children and a third child that’s on the way. 

“This heartbreaking loss is a solemn reminder of the risks the men and women of law enforcement face every day to protect and serve,” JSO says “We pray for all those affected by this tragedy and ask for your continued prayers and support for law enforcement officers across the nation.”