Content Warning: This article contains references to gun violence.
Emory University sent out an Emory Emergency Alert to community members at 1:05 p.m., urging people to avoid the Emory Point area near the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). At 2:39 p.m., the Emory Police Department (EPD) issued an all-clear alert for the emergency.
According to a statement released by EPD Chief Burt Buchtinec, police were notified of a suspicious individual on the roof of the Emory Point CVS, which resulted in an immediate search of the area.
EPD, the Atlanta Police Department, the DeKalb County Police Department and the Brookhaven Police Department responded to the emergency. Officers patrolled the area on foot with weapons until EPD issued the all-clear alert. An estimated 20 police vehicles were on the scene. Additionally, two helicopters affiliated with press outlets surveyed the area.
In August 2025, another police emergency took place in the Emory Point and CDC area, with an armed individual who shot and killed one DeKalb County police officer.
On Wednesday, Buchtinec sent out a university-wide communication about increased police presence on Emory’s campuses in the wake of safety incidents. Additionally, beginning next week, community members will need an EmoryCard to access all academic and office buildings.
Buchtinec’s announcement also came after the Emory School of Law increased its own building security following social media posts by a community member that caused “concern,” according to Emory Law Dean Richard Freer.
Although EPD issued an all-clear alert, Buchtinec wrote in his email that the incident remains an active police investigation.
If you or someone you know is struggling in the aftermath of gun violence, you can reach Emory’s Counseling and Psychological Services at (404) 727-7450 or https://counseling.emory.edu/ or the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Disaster Distress hotline 24/7 at +1 (800) 985-5990.
Ellie Fivas (she/her) (26C) is from Cleveland, Tenn., and is majoring in political science and history on the pre-law track. When she is not working for the Wheel, she works in prison education, leads a human rights club and works at the Emory Writing Center. In her free time, you can find her reading trashy romances and The New York Times, basking on the Quadrangle and doing crossword puzzles.
Siya Kumar (she/her) (28C) is a news editor at The Emory Wheel. She is from New Orleans, La., majoring in Economics and Creative Writing on the pre-law track. Outside of the Wheel, Kumar is a market news analyst for the Emory Economics Investment Forum and a writer for the Emory Economics Review. She loves baking, reading, and drinking coffee.
