At least nine people were hospitalized with injuries after gunfire erupted at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, about 50 miles from Atlanta.
A suspect is in custody. Here’s what else we know:
Four people were killed in the shooting at Apalachee High School on Wednesday, according to authorities. The incident created a chaotic scene as students tried to reconnect with their families and the community sought answers.
The shooting, which took place in Winder, a city of roughly 18,000 in the outer suburbs of Atlanta, is the deadliest episode of school violence in Georgia's history. President Biden described the attack as “another horrific reminder of how gun violence continues to tear our communities apart.”
Students, barely a month into the new school year, described their terror as the lockdown they initially thought was a drill turned out to be real. They reported hearing gunfire as they barricaded themselves in classrooms and fled to the football field to wait for their parents.
Here’s the latest:
- One suspect is in custody, but authorities have not shared any information about the individual's age or connection to the school.
- Sheriff Jud Smith of Barrow County, which includes Winder, described a chaotic situation and said investigators are still trying to understand what happened. “Please, let us get the facts that we need to make sure we get this right,” he said, adding, “Every minute, it’s developing.”
- The streets surrounding the rural campus of roughly 1,800 students were clogged with law enforcement officers and emergency responders. Parents, some parking more than a mile away, walked toward the school to find their children.
