The Georgia man suspected of opening fire on Centers for Disease Control buildings near Emory University, killing one police officer, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound and expressed "discontent" with COVID-19 vaccines, authorities said.

Hundreds of shell casings were discovered at the scene of the shooting, which broke out the afternoon of Aug. 8 in Atlanta, according to Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Chris Hosey. Nearly 200 bullets struck six different CDC buildings, Hosey said in an update on Aug. 12.

The suspect, identified over the weekend as 30-year-old Patrick Joseph White, was found dead on the second floor of a building that included a CVS store. It was later determined that his fatal gunshot wound was self-inflicted, authorities said.

White was on law enforcement's radar weeks before the shooting because he had expressed suicidal ideation, prompting contact with law enforcement. He had no known criminal history, Hosey said.

DeKalb County Police Officer David Rose, a 33-year-old husband and father of two with another child on the way, was killed by one of the shooter's weapons, Hosey said.

"He served with honor, courage and unwavering dedication. His sacrifice will never be forgotten, and his commitment to protecting others is a profound testament to the very best of the law enforcement profession," Hosey said.

Suspect broke into father's gun safe to get weapons

The suspect's family has been cooperating with law enforcement, Hosey said. Investigators learned that all five weapons recovered at the scene belonged to the suspect's father, who kept them locked in a gun safe.

The suspect "forced his way into the safe that contained the weapons," Hosey said.

The weapons included rifles and a shotgun, he said. The majority of the bullet casings found at the scene were fired by long guns.

CDC shootings suspect's writings reveal 'discontent' with vaccines

While executing a search warrant, investigators found writings belonging to the suspect that indicated his "discontent" with COVID-19 vaccines.

Those writings are being analyzed by profilers with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Hosey said. The writings did not contain a "direct threat" to the CDC, but appear to be an attempt at "making the public aware in his words of his discontent with the vaccines," Hosey said.

"Evidence in this investigation indicates that the shooter had recently verbalized thoughts of suicide," Hosey said.

His contact with law enforcement came several weeks before the shooting. Investigators are looking more into the nature of that contact, he said.

The American Federation of Government Employees, Local 2883 union that represents CDC employees previously said in a statement that the shooting "compounds months of mistreatment, neglect, and vilification that CDC staff have endured."

"Early reports indicate the gunman was motivated by vaccine disinformation, which continues to pose a dangerous threat to public health and safety," the statement said.

Clinical trials for the COVID-19 vaccines involving tens of thousands of people have shown the vaccines are safe and effective, according to the CDC.

Contributing: Christopher Cann

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: CDC shooting suspect died of self-inflicted gunshot: Officials

Reporting by Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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