The Georgia Bureau of Investigation stated Wednesday that 4 individuals have been killed and at the least 9 have been injured in a capturing at a highschool outdoors of Atlanta.
College students scrambled for shelter within the soccer stadium as officers swarmed the campus and fogeys raced to seek out out if their youngsters have been secure.
A suspect was in custody, authorities stated.
“What you see behind us is an evil thing,” Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith stated at a short information convention outdoors Apalachee Excessive College. He declined to present particulars about casualties, or concerning the suspect.
Jacob King, a sophomore soccer participant, stated he had dozed off in his world historical past class after a morning apply when he heard about 10 gunshots.
King stated he didn’t imagine the capturing was actual till he heard an officer yelling at somebody to place down their gun. King stated when his class was led out, he noticed officers shielding what gave the impression to be an injured pupil.
Ashley Enoh was at residence Wednesday morning when she acquired a textual content from her brother, who’s a senior at Apalachee Excessive College:
“Simply so , I really like you,” he texted her.
When she requested within the household group chat what was happening, he stated there was a shooter on the faculty. Enoh’s youthful sister, a junior on the faculty, stated she had heard concerning the shooter and that every part was on lockdown.
Few particulars have been instantly obtainable from authorities, who have been dispatched shortly earlier than 10:30 a.m. to reply to an “active shooting,” the sheriff’s workplace stated in an announcement.
“Casualties have been reported, however details on the number or their conditions is not available at this time,” the assertion added.
Helicopter video from WSB-TV confirmed dozens of legislation enforcement and emergency automobiles surrounding the varsity in Barrow County, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) northeast of Atlanta.
When Erin Clark, 42, obtained a textual content from her son Ethan, a senior at the highschool, that there was an energetic shooter, she rushed from her job on the Amazon warehouse to the varsity. The 2 texted “I love you,” and Clark stated she prayed for her son as she drove to the highschool.
With the primary highway blocked to the varsity, Clark parked and ran with different dad and mom. Dad and mom have been then directed to the soccer discipline. Amid the chaos, Clark discovered Ethan sitting on the bleachers.
Clark stated her son was writing an essay in school when he first heard the gunshots. Her son then labored along with his classmates to barricade the door and conceal.
“I’m so proud of him for doing that,” she stated. “He was so brave.”
College students had solely began the varsity yr a bit of over a month in the past earlier than the capturing Wednesday.
“It makes me scared to send him back,” she stated. “I don’t know what I’m going to do.”
Visitors going to the varsity was backed up for greater than a mile as dad and mom tried to get to their youngsters there.
“I’ve directed all obtainable state sources to reply to the incident at Apalachee Excessive College and urge all Georgians to affix my household in praying for the protection of these in our school rooms, each in Barrow County and throughout the state,” Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp stated in an announcement.
“We will continue to work with local, state, and federal partners as we gather information and further respond to this situation,” Kemp added.
In an announcement, the FBI’s Atlanta workplace stated: “FBI Atlanta is aware of the current situation at Apalachee High School in Barrow County. Our agents are on scene coordinating with and supporting local law enforcement.”
The White Home stated President Joe Biden has been briefed by his Homeland Safety Advisor, Liz Sherwood-Randall, concerning the capturing and the administration will coordinate with federal, state, and native officers because it receives extra info.
Apalachee Excessive College has about 1,900 college students, in keeping with data from Georgia schooling officers. It grew to become Barrow County’s second largest public highschool when it opened in 2000, in keeping with the Barrow County College System. It’s named after the Apalachee River on the southern fringe of Barrow County.
The capturing had reverberations in Atlanta, the place patrols of faculties in that metropolis have been beefed up, authorities stated. Extra patrols of Atlanta faculties could be finished “for the rest of the day out of an abundance of caution,” Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens stated.
