CDC shooting suspect distrusted vaccines, neighbor says

from Shaddi Abusaid

In the year leading up to Friday afternoon’s shooting at the CDC, Patrick Joseph White spoke increasingly with a neighbor about his distrust of the COVID-19 vaccine.

The 30-year-old was known as a handyman of sorts in his quiet west Cobb neighborhood, regularly mowing lawns, trimming shrubs and walking dogs for his neighbors. 

But in recent months, something seemed to change, said Nancy Hoalst, who lives directly across the street from White’s family.

She said White regularly brought up his distrust of vaccines, even during conversations that were entirely unrelated.

“He was very unsettled and he very deeply believed that vaccines hurt him and were hurting other people.” Hoalst said. 

“He emphatically believed that.”

Hoalst, who has lived in the neighborhood about five years, said she always knew White to be friendly. 

In the fall, he would take it upon himself to blow the leaves off her lawn and driveway ahead of Halloween and the influx of trick-or-treaters.

“He seemed like a good guy,” she said. “He would volunteer to walk dogs. He did good things.”

 

While he may have seemed a little peculiar, Hoalst said she never knew her neighbor to be violent. 

“I didn’t know he had those tendencies,” she said. “I had no idea he thought he would take it out on the CDC."

Other neighbors said they, too, were surprised when a SWAT team descended on their quiet street late Friday night before spending nearly four hours at White’s home.

“I always thought he was a pretty stand-up guy — quiet, but never confrontational,” said Josh Shirah, 22, who grew up on White’s cul-de-sac. 

“I was never worried about him doing something like this.

Shirah said White “seemed like a good dude,” and that he would often see him helping other neighbors with their lawns. 

Shirah said White, who lived with both parents, didn’t talk about much and never seemed to have many friends. 

But nothing ever raised any suspicions, he said. The two never discussed vaccines, said Shirah, who was shocked when he found out his neighbor was named as the suspect in Friday's shooting