A suspect is in custody after a shooting inside Apalachee High School in Georgia. According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigations, at least four people have died, and about nine sustained injuries as a result of the September 4 incident.
In a statement, Barrow County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that a suspect was arrested but gave no additional details about the person’s identity. However, CNN has cited a source who claims the detainee is “of student age.” At this time, further information about the alleged student suspect and their ties to the Georgia high school remain unclear.
Additionally, Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith declined to give details about those injured in the shooting. “What you see behind us is an evil thing,” Sheriff Smith said during a press conference outside the school on Wednesday.
Here’s What Happened At Apalachee High School
Georgia’s Apalachee High School is located in Barrow County, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) northeast of Atlanta. According to records from Georgia education officials, the school has about 1,900 students. It became Barrow County’s second-largest public high school when it opened in 2000 and is named after the Apalachee River in the county.
It’s only been a little over a month since the high schoolers returned from summer break. Shortly before 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, officers from multiple law enforcement agencies and Fire/EMS personnel received dispatch orders for Apalachee.
According to the Associated Press, students sought shelter in the high school’s football stadium as local officers swarmed the campus.
How Officials Have Responded To The Georgia School Shooting
Helicopter video from WSB-TV showed dozens of law enforcement and emergency vehicles surrounding the impacted Georgia high school. According to AP, traffic going to the school was backed up for more than a mile as parents tried to get to their children.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has already addressed the school shooting in a statement.
“I have directed all available state resources to respond to the incident at Apalachee High School and urge all Georgians to join my family in praying for the safety of those in our classrooms, both in Barrow County and across the state,” Gov. Kemp said. “We will continue to work with local, state, and federal partners as we gather information and further respond to this situation.”
— Governor Brian P. Kemp (@GovKemp) September 4, 2024
Meanwhile, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens has called for additional patrols of Atlanta schools “for the rest of the day.” Dickens said the call is “out of an abundance of caution.”
The FBI’s Atlanta office has also responded to the shooting. Their statement said, “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.”
AP adds that President Biden’s Homeland Security Advisor, Liz Sherwood-Randall, has advised him on the Georgia high school incident. In a statement cited by CNN, Biden spoke about school shootings not becoming a norm.
“What should have been a joyous back-to-school season in Winder, Georgia, has now turned into another horrific reminder of how gun violence continues to tear our communities apart. Students across the country are learning how to duck and cover instead of how to read and write. We cannot continue to accept this as normal,” the president said.
The episode is just the latest among dozens of school shootings across the U.S. in recent years, including especially deadly ones in Newtown, Connecticut, Parkland, Florida, and Uvalde, Texas. The killings in classrooms have set off fervent debates about gun control and frayed the nerves of parents whose children are growing up accustomed to active shooter drills in classrooms. But they have done little to move the needle on national gun laws.
This is a breaking story. Stay tuned for live updates.
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Associated Press staff Jeff Amy contributed to this report.
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