Release
Thank you all for being here today. I want to begin by recognizing Officer David Rose's family. I had a chance to meet almost a year ago, and we're all honored by your presence.
We're grateful that you are here with us, as we remember David, and honor his extraordinary service and sacrifice. Nearly a year ago, Officer David Rose gave his life in the line of duty. When violence threatened this campus, he ran toward the danger. He protected his fellow officers, his colleagues, and complete strangers from a gunmen determined to cause devastation.
We remember Officer Rose not only because he died, but also because he chose a life of service, which required him to accept the possibility of an ultimate sacrifice.
Every day he put on his uniform, he accepted that responsibility without hesitation. At his graduation from DeKalb County Police Academy, Officer Rose said, "this job isn't just about enforcing the law. It's about protecting the vulnerable. and standing for justice, and being the person who runs toward the danger, when others run away."
Those words became the standards by which he lived. Long before that tragic day in August, Officer Rose had already dedicated himself to serving others. Before joining the DeKalb County Police Department, he served our nation as United States Marine. He served with honor and distinction, and numerous military decorations, including the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the National Defense Service Medal, and embodied the highest ideals of public service.
Today, we dedicate more than a roadway and a memorial plaque. We establish a permanent reminder of a man who chose service over self.
Long after today's ceremony ends, everyone who enters this campus will know that Officer David Rose gave his life protecting others. These memorials remind us that public service carries the risk of real sacrifice. They remind us that our safety depends on men and women, willing to place themselves in a harm's way for people that they never met.
When one of my brothers died, my mother had lost two of her sons and her parents already, and had suffered many other losses in her life. I had a conversation with her that night, where I asked her, does the hole that your loved ones leave in you when they die ever get any smaller. And she said to me, It never gets any smaller. Our job is to grow ourselves larger around the hole. And we do that by integrating the best qualities and virtues and character traits of the person who passed, and try to integrate those into her own character.
By doing that, we make ourselves larger, and the hole gets proportionally smaller.
Well, David Rose was a collection of virtues that we all now can emulate. He was target rich in virtues, he had them in abundance. We honor Officer Rose, not only by remembering him, but by living up to the example he set through courage, through his integrity, through his commitment, to live a life of service to others.
The pain of loss never fully leaves us, but we can choose what our grief produces. We can allow it to deepen our compassion, strengthen our resolve, and inspire us to serve others with greater purpose, the way that David Rose did. And that's how we honor him, and that's how we give him a kind of immortality.
Before I close, I want to recognize every member of law enforcement who protects the CDC, safeguards our communities, and serves our nation every day. I also want to thank every first responder who answered that call that day.
Our firefighters, the emergency medical personnel, security professionals, the emergency management teams, and every public servant who ran towards the danger instead of away from it. You acted with courage, discipline, and professionalism under extraordinary circumstances. Because of your action, lives were saved. Our nation is grateful for your service, and I also want to recognize the staff of CDC Childcare Center. In a moment of extraordinary uncertainty, you protected the children who trusted your care with God, professionalism and with compassion.
Thank you for your service, and to Officer Rose's family, no words can ease the pain of your loss. We will continue to keep all of you in our prayers.
We're grateful that you shared David with this country, and we will always honor the life he lived in the service he made. We will never forget him or his service. On behalf of President Trump, Department of Health and Human Services, and a grateful nation. Thank you, and thank you, Officer David Rose.
- Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Health and Human Services, August 7, 2026
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