Law enforcement reportedly arrested the person responsible for committing a shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, which is part of Barrow County and about an hour away from downtown Atlanta.
Early police reports do not contain an estimate for the number of casualties from the shooting, nor do they reveal the identity of the shooter, but instead advise to avoid the area during the emergency response.
Videos posted to the social media platform X after the shooting showed law enforcement and emergency services rushing to the high school as students and faculty exited the building.
BREAKING – SCHOOL SHOOTING IN GEORGIA: Two people killed, four others injured after suspect opens fire at Apalachee High School in Barrow County on Wednesday morning. The suspect is in custody. pic.twitter.com/iGimko6X5P
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) September 4, 2024
The Winder Police Department (WPD) confirmed in a post to social media the agency is jointly working with the Barrow County Sheriff’s Office to address the shooting and stated that officers were additionally sent to another nearby high school, middle school, and elementary school.
“All schools within the county are currently in lockdown with officers on hand to keep scenes safe and contained. We will communicate as soon as parents can be paired with their children,” WPD stated. “Everything is contained at this time and we are working with school staff to communicate next steps for student release as soon as we can.”
Police sources reportedly told local media one suspect was in custody after reports of the shooting surfaced, but police have yet to release the identity of the person arrested or announce the number of casualties from the event.
The shooting reportedly happened at around 11:30 a.m., and Fox 5 Atlanta later reported their cameras captured two or more people “being put into helicopters to be flown to hospitals for treatment.” However, the outlet additionally confirmed multiple ambulances were at the scene. It also reported that a local hospital confirmed receiving one gunshot victim from the school.
One student told ABC 30 his teacher briefly opened his classroom door after hearing gunshots at 11 a.m., only to be told there was an active shooter, at which point the educator and students huddled in the back of the classroom.
The outlet also reported that Barrow County Schools asked parents not to visit the school, declaring it “cannot release students during a lockdown.”
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, in a post to X, said his prayers were with those impacted by the incident, and confirmed the Atlanta Police Department and Atlanta Public Schools Police Department are working “to bolster patrols around our schools for the rest of the day out of an abundance of caution.”
Governor Brian Kemp similarly stated in a post to X that he “directed all available state resources” in response to the incident before urging Georgians to pray “for the safety of those in our classrooms, both in Barrow County and across the state.”
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Apalachee High School Shooting Scene” by Breaking911.
