A shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, on Wednesday left four dead and nine injured. The Georgia Bureau of Investigations (GBI) confirmed that authorities have taken a suspect into custody.
The Barrow County Sheriff’s Office responded to reports of an active shooter just before 10:30 a.m. The GBI later clarified that the suspect was alive, refuting earlier reports that the individual had been “neutralized.” The motive remains unknown.
Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta received one gunshot victim. The victim’s condition is still undisclosed. Emergency services responded with at least five ambulances, a medical helicopter, and a large law enforcement presence. The school, which had around 1,900 students last fall, went into lockdown. Authorities lifted the lockdown around 11:30 a.m., allowing parents to pick up their children.
The FBI confirmed its agents are on-site, assisting local authorities. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp directed all available state resources to support the response.
Winder, located 50 miles northeast of Atlanta, is reeling from this tragedy. Apalachee High School had resumed classes just a month ago, on August 1, after the summer break.
President Joe Biden expressed sorrow and frustration over the incident. He urged lawmakers to pass gun safety legislation. He emphasized that students should focus on learning, not survival tactics.
This marks the 385th mass shooting in the U.S. in 2024, according to the Gun Violence Archive. More than a dozen of these shootings occurred in Georgia.
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