At least 4 dead in school shooting in US’s Georgia, 14-year-old arrested

Georgia school shooting: Apalachee High School shooting leaves 4 killed, a dozen injured

In a devastating incident at a high school in Georgia, at least four individuals have lost their lives after a gunman opened fire on campus. The suspect, a 14-year-old student, has been taken into custody.

Authorities, including police and emergency medical teams, swiftly responded to the scene, and the surrounding neighborhood was placed under a “hard lockdown” as a precaution. According to local news reports, there are additional injuries, and at least one person has been evacuated via air ambulance for urgent medical care.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) confirmed its involvement in responding to the shooting. The situation is still unfolding as law enforcement works to gather more details and ensure the community’s safety.

“At approximately 10:23 a.m., officers from multiple law enforcement agencies and Fire/ EMS personnel were dispatched to the high school in reference to a reported active shooting,” the Barrow County Sheriff‘s office said in a statement.

Students were evacuated from the scene of the shooting and several were seen huddled in a field near the school. The Barrow County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement that the suspect has been taken into custody.

The shooter who opened fire inside Apalachee High School is believed to be a 14-year-old boy, a law enforcement source told CNN, adding that it is not yet known whether the teen attended that school.

CNN also confirmed that at least four people have died in today’s shooting incident. In addition to the four killed, over a dozen people are injured, it reported. It further said that not all injuries were gunshot wounds. Several were injured while trying to take cover or flee the scene.

The Apalachee High School in Barrow County, Georgia, sent out a message to parents saying it was “currently in a hard lockdown after reports of gunfire.”

The school is located in the town of Winder, about 45 miles (70 kilometers) northeast of Atlanta, the state capital.

“We have agents on site assisting local, state, and federal law enforcement with the investigation. One suspect in custody,” the GBI said in a post on social media.

“Law enforcement has arrived. Please do not attempt to come to the school at this time while officers work to secure the area,” it added.

Witnesses describe horror as authorities respond

In the wake of a tragic shooting at a high school in Georgia, 17-year-old student Sergio Caldera recounted the harrowing experience he endured. Caldera, who was in chemistry class when the incident began, reported to ABC News that he initially heard gunshots before his teacher and another faculty member took urgent action to secure the classroom.

According to Caldera, the second teacher burst into the room, advising the first teacher to lock the door due to the presence of an “active shooter.” As students and teachers huddled together in fear, someone began pounding on the classroom door and shouting for it to be opened. When the knocking ceased, more gunshots and screams were heard. As reported by Reuters, Caldera later described how his class was evacuated to the school’s football field for safety.

Sheriff Jud Smith, speaking at a brief news conference on the scene, described the events as “an evil thing.” In response to the unfolding crisis, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp updated the situation via social media platform X, noting that state agencies were actively addressing the incident.

The White House has issued a statement confirming that President Joe Biden has been briefed on the situation. The administration will continue to coordinate with federal, state, and local officials as more information becomes available.

This incident adds to the growing list of school shootings in the US over the past two decades, a troubling trend that has ignited ongoing debates about gun laws and the Second Amendment, which protects the right “to keep and bear arms.” The deadliest shooting in recent history occurred at Virginia Tech in 2007, where over 30 people were killed.

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