Authorities have arrested a suspect following a shooting at Apalachee High School in Barrow County, Georgia, which resulted in multiple casualties. The incident, occurring about 40 miles northeast of Atlanta, prompted a swift lockdown of the campus as law enforcement and emergency responders converged on the scene.
The Barrow County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the arrest and reported an unknown number of injuries. In response to the shooting, students were seen rushing to seek shelter in the football stadium.
According to CNN, at least four people are believed to have died and around 30 others were injured in a shooting at Winder, Georgia. The extent of the injuries and how many are gunshot wounds remain unclear, according to preliminary reports from law enforcement sources.
A suspect, reported to be of student age, has been taken into custody. It is currently unknown whether the individual was a student at the school. In response to the incident, all schools within the district were placed on lockdown, and police were dispatched to every high school in the area as a precaution.
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Emergency medical responders, including helicopters, were deployed to the scene to assist the critically injured, with additional helicopters on standby.
The Barrow County Sheriff’s Office issued a statement detailing the emergency response to the incident: “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,” they reported. The statement continued, “At the time of this release, one suspect is in custody. Casualties have been reported, however details on the number or their conditions is not available at this time.”
Gov. Brian Kemp responded to the shooting at Apalachee High School by mobilizing state resources. “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,” he wrote.
We will continue to work with local, state, and federal partners as we gather information and further respond to this situation. (2/2)
— Governor Brian P. Kemp (@GovKemp) September 4, 2024
Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith addressed the public following the tragic shooting at Apalachee High School. “We are asking for your patience … please let us get the facts that we need to make sure we get this right,” Smith stated during a news conference on Wednesday afternoon. He further noted, “This is going to take multiple days for us to get answers as to what happened and why this happened.”
Apalachee High School has close to 1,900 students across grades 9 through 12.
This is a developing story…
