Silas Kruger Falsely Identified as Atlanta CDC Shooter: Reports

A man named Silas Kruger was falsely identified on social media as the CDC shooter in Atlanta.

His name was widely spread on X before his parents stepped in to debunk the reports. A false identification of a suspect in a high-profile active shooting is a fairly common phenomenon. For example, in many active shootings, a man named Sam Hyde is falsely blamed as the gunman. It's even become a known meme.

Silas Kruger's Mother Confirmed That He Is NOT the Emory Gunman, a Report Says

In the case of Silas Kruger, Hindustan Times received an email from his mother debunking the report. Police have not yet named the actual CDC gunman; a police officer from DeKalb, GA, David Rose, 33, lost his life in that shooting. The real gunman is dead, Atlanta police said.

“We have people that have been harassing my son (Silas Kruger) online, but we live in Canada. They have been spreading false information about him online for years,” Kruger's mom wrote in an email to Hindustan Times.

"First off, Silas our son was not involved in anything down in Georgia. The tragedy in Emory University. We are in Canada. Silas was at work all day today. He is surprised as I am," a man says in a video going viral on X.

There’s been a lot of confusion online. Some social media posts have wrongly linked Silas Kruger, an Emory University student, to the recent Emory/CDC shooting incident. This is false.#Emory #Georgia #ATL #SilasKruger #ThinBlueLine pic.twitter.com/rDqEDDZuJ6

— The Exposure (@TheExposureTeam) August 9, 2025

The man said they had dealt with "trolls" in the past due to Discord, and he said that the family was swatted. The man said he contacted the Emory Police Department and made a statement and "now they're opening a case with the federal cyber unit... sorry for all the confusion. This is just out of control."

The director of the CDC confirmed that the shooter (again, who is not Kruger) opened fire on at least four CDC buildings. CNN is reporting that police believe the gunman was motivated by a belief that a COVID-19 vaccine had caused an illness in him.

Grok chatbot even wrote, "The Emory University shooting occurred on Aug 8, 2025, near the CDC, resulting in the shooter's death and one officer injured. Social media identifies the shooter as student Silas Kruger with a COVID vaccine-related motive, but Atlanta police have not confirmed the identity or motive. Official statements indicate the investigation is ongoing, with no details on motive released. Rumors appear unverified."

Related: CDC Shooter in Atlanta May Have Blamed COVID-19 Vaccine for Illness: Report