DEKALB COUNTY — Tributes are growing for DeKalb County police officer David Rose, who was shot and killed Friday while responding to an active shooter at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.

Flowers and other gestures have been placed near the crime scene as the community mourns the 33-year-old officer. Flags on county properties are flying at half-staff in his honor.

Rose, a married father of two with another child on the way, graduated from the police academy in March. In remarks from that day, obtained by Channel 2 Action News, he reflected on the meaning of the badge: “Today is a day we will never forget. We wanted to serve. We wanted to be part of something greater than ourselves. We learned that the badge we will wear isn’t just a piece of metal. It’s a symbol of trust, of duty.”

Authorities have identified the suspected gunman as 30-year-old Patrick White of Kennesaw. He was found dead in a building across the street from the CDC property, though it is unclear whether he was killed by police or died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.