ATLANTA, Ga. — This story was originally published on our affiliate, WSBTV.
DeKalb officials confirmed the death of one of their police officers Friday after a shooter opened fire on the campus of Emory University.
Atlanta police said the suspected shooter is dead, and there is no indication of a second suspect.
DeKalb CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson said at a news briefing just after 8:30 p.m. that the officer, who they did not identify by name, was also a husband and father with a child on the way.
“This evening, my heart goes out to the family, as well as the DeKalb County family,” she said.
She called it a dark day, and she asked for people to keep the family in their thoughts and prayers.
Sources had earlier confirmed to Channel 2 Action News that a DeKalb officer was ambushed, shot and killed in the violence on Clifton Road.
Mayor Andre Dickens said in a news conference that no civilians were shot by the gunman. He said he could not provide details on the identity or potential motive of the suspect, but expected more information to be released soon.
Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said they became aware of an active shooter around 4:50 p.m. The DeKalb officer responded to the report of an active shooter when he was shot, and he was quickly removed from the scene and taken to a Emory University Hospital.
He said officers followed the suspect to the CVS, heard gunfire inside and moved in.
They found the suspected shooter on the second floor of the building, and he had been hit by gunfire. Schierbaum said it was not known whether the suspect had been hit by an officer’s gunfire or shot himself, and he died at the scene.
A DeKalb Police spokesperson at the news conference declined to provide information on the officer’s status or identity.
Dickens said families of children at a daycare in the area would be reunited soon at a nearby school. The daycare was locked down, and all the children are safe, he said.
In a statement from CDC Director Susan Monarez, she said that employees remain on lockdown in the facility.
“Our top priority is the safety and well-being of everyone at CDC. We are actively coordinating with federal, state, and local partners to fully investigate the shooter and this tragic crime,” she said.
Dozens of police and emergency vehicles from multiple agencies blocked off the area on Clifton Road and Emory Point. The university sent out alerts via text just after 5 p.m. notifying students and staff of an active shooter on the campus at the Emory Point CVS.
The campus is near the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters. NewsChopper 2 located apparent damage from bullets to windows at the CDC.
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