Searching for the Patrick Joseph White photo usually leads people down two very different paths. One path is the official Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) release—a standard, grainy driver’s license picture. The other path is a chaotic mess of social media misinformation.
You've probably seen the confusion. In the high-tension hours following the August 8, 2025, shooting at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, the internet did what it does best: it moved too fast. People were desperate to put a face to the name of the 30-year-old from Kennesaw. Instead of waiting for the GBI, a "suspect photo" started racking up thousands of retweets.
The problem? It wasn't him.
The Viral Mix-up and the Real Image
Social media users accidentally (or sometimes maliciously) circulated photos of Deion Patterson, a suspect from a completely unrelated 2023 Midtown Atlanta shooting. It sounds ridiculous, but in the heat of a breaking news event, these things go viral before anyone thinks to double-check. Honestly, it’s a mess.
The actual Patrick Joseph White photo wasn't released until the following Tuesday. GBI Director Chris Hosey was pretty clear about the delay. He mentioned that while the agency generally avoids "publicizing" shooters to prevent notoriety, they felt releasing his driver's license photo was necessary for the sake of public clarity.
White looks ordinary in the image. Just a 30-year-old man. But the story behind that face is heavy. He was the man who unleashed over 500 rounds toward the CDC headquarters, killing DeKalb County Police Officer David Rose, a father of two with a third child on the way.
What the GBI Investigation Actually Found
If you’re looking into this, you aren't just looking for a picture. You’re looking for the why.
Investigators found a handwritten document during their search of White’s home in Kennesaw. It wasn't necessarily a "manifesto" in the traditional sense, but more of a personal statement. He was obsessed. He blamed the COVID-19 vaccine for a laundry list of health problems, specifically depression and chronic pain.
- The Weaponry: He didn't buy these guns. He broke into his father's safe to get them.
- The Mental Health Crisis: His father, Kenneth White, had called 911 three times in the year leading up to the shooting. One call happened just hours before the attack.
- The Target: He wasn't aiming for people initially; he was aiming for the institution. He broke nearly 150 windows at the CDC campus.
Neighbors described him as someone who had become increasingly thin and "fixated." One neighbor told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that White spoke frequently about his distrust of the medical establishment. It's a classic, tragic example of someone falling down a rabbit hole until they can't see the way out.
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Why the Context of the Photo Matters
Basically, the reason the Patrick Joseph White photo became such a flashpoint is because of the political climate. Because he targeted the CDC and left behind writings about vaccines, his image was immediately co-opted by various groups online.
Some tried to paint him as a martyr; others used the fake photos to claim the whole thing was a "false flag." It’s exhausting to keep up with. But the facts remain: a police officer is dead, a family is shattered, and the suspect died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on the second floor of a CVS pharmacy across from the campus.
Law enforcement recovered five guns in total. They found a staggering number of shell casings—over 500—scattered across the pavement and inside the CVS. Most came from a long gun, which explains why the damage to the CDC buildings was so extensive despite the shooter being across the street.
Real-World Impact and Misinformation
We have to talk about Officer David Rose. While the internet was hunting for a Patrick Joseph White photo, the real tragedy was the loss of Rose. He was a former Marine who had served in Afghanistan. He’d only recently graduated from the police academy in March.
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When you see the photo of White now, it serves as a reminder of how quickly "internet sleuths" can ruin the credibility of a news cycle. Using Deion Patterson’s face as a stand-in for White didn't just spread lies; it distracted from the actual investigation and the mourning of a local hero.
Experts in digital forensics and misinformation, like those at the Stanford Internet Observatory, often point to these moments as "data voids." There’s a high demand for information (the photo) but a low supply of verified facts. Into that void, people pour whatever fits their narrative.
How to verify these details yourself
If you are trying to find the legitimate image or more specific case files, don't rely on "X" (formerly Twitter) threads from accounts with eight digits in their username.
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- Go straight to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) official newsroom. They host the original press releases.
- Check local Atlanta outlets like WSB-TV or the AJC. They have reporters on the ground who attended the Tuesday press conference where the photo was first shown.
- Look for the watermark. Official GBI releases usually have a specific layout or are distributed via their verified social media channels.
The story of Patrick Joseph White is a grim one. It’s a mix of mental health struggles, easy access to firearms, and a deep-seated conspiracy mindset that eventually boiled over into violence. The photo is just a small piece of a much larger, much darker puzzle.
To get a clearer picture of the legal aftermath or the ongoing GBI investigation, you should review the public records requests filed by local Atlanta news organizations. These often contain more granular details about the 911 calls made by White's father and the specific contents of the "discontent" documents found at the Kennesaw residence.