The Devastating Shooting at the CDC

Dear Faculty, Staff, and Students, 

Our public health community has been shocked and shaken by the deadly shooting at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta on Friday. I am horrified by the attack, and I’m thinking of all those who were directly and indirectly impacted, including our colleagues at the CDC who endured the attack, the law enforcement officer who was killed when responding, and their loved ones. 

As I reflect on the preventable shooting, I find it particularly devastating that public health officials who work tirelessly to promote the public’s health and save lives were targeted for doing their job. Many of us have spent time at the CDC or have close collaborators and colleagues who work there, and many of our alumni serve there today.  

I know that this shooting, like so much of the violence impacting our country, may be unsettling and difficult to process. Please take care of yourself and seek support if you need it. As a reminder, faculty and staff can contact JH Employee Assistance Program and students, the Office of Student Well-Being. 

Friday’s shooting took a human life and damaged the social fabric that ties us together. It is a collective responsibility to engage with civility, fairness, dignity, and humanity, especially when there are disagreements. At the Bloomberg School, we are working toward a world free from violence, where we can safely live, work, study, worship, and play, by bringing evidence, innovation, and compassion to the urgent and essential work of violence prevention. A critical priority is to ensure the safety and security of those who serve so diligently to promote health and well-being for all. 

Sincerely, 

Keshia  

Keshia Pollack Porter, PhD ’06, MPH 
Dean  
Bloomberg Centennial Professor  
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health