Sept. 4 (UPI) — Four people including two students and two teachers are dead and about 30 others injured after a deadly shooting at a Georgia high school, according to sources who say the gunman is a 14-year-old boy.
“Law-enforcement had a very, very swift response to this incident” Chris Hosey, director of Georgia’s Bureau of investigation, said during the afternoon news-media update.
The alleged shooter was identified as Colt Gray, a 14-year-old student in the school district, and he will be tried for murder as an adult, according to Hosey.
At least nine individuals were reportedly hospitalized. Earlier, authorities said a suspect had been taken into custody as students were being reunited with their families.
Law enforcement sources previously told CNN the alleged shooter who opened fire inside Apalachee High School was believed to be a 14-year-old boy.
Police officers and two school resource officers confronted Gray, at which time he surrendered, Hosey said.
More than a dozen police units across Georgia were sent to aid in the shooting investigation, Hosey said.
Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith got emotional as he expressed his shock at the day’s event. He said his own kids attend the school. He said Gov. Brian Kemp had reached out to provide any necessary resources.
“Hate will not prevail in this county,” he said. “Love will prevail over what happened today.”
Superintendent Dallas LeDuff said district schools will be closed for the remainder of the week. But he said the district’s main office will be open and grief counseling will be available “as we grieve through this together.”
Another media update is expected “in the next few hours,” according to officials.
Officials said earlier that the high school received a phone call Wednesday morning warning that shootings would occur at five schools and indicated that Apalachee would be first. But it is not yet known who placed the call, officials said.
The day’s shooting was called “an evil thing” by Smith during an early afternoon press conference.
“We’re in the process of reunifying students with their parents,” Smith said earlier. The police official said the situation is “fluid” and the investigation is “very active” and ever-developing, he added.
The investigation “is going to take multiple days for us to get answers,” the sheriff said as he asked for patience from the public and news media. “Please let us get the facts that we need to make sure we get this right.”
The Wednesday morning shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, located in Barrow County roughly 50 miles east of the state’s capital in Atlanta, saw multiple law enforcement agencies respond before 10:30 a.m. local time.
This was the 45th school shooting so far this year.
Last year in 2023 there was a record-high of 83 reported U.S. school shootings. As of July, there have been 35 school shooting incidents in the U.S. so far this year, according to Statista.
In a statement, the White House says the administration is “closely coordinating” with all local, state and federal officials.
What should have been “a joyous back-to-school season in Winder, Ga.,” it read, “has now turned into another horrific reminder of how gun violence continues to tear our communities apart.”
“After decades of inaction, Republicans in Congress must finally say ‘enough is enough’ and work with Democrats to pass common-sense gun safety legislation,” according to the statement on behalf of President Joe Biden, who called for a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, and “require safe storage of firearms, enact universal background checks, and end immunity for gun manufacturers,” the statement continued.
The Georgia high school was under lockdown until a little before 11:30 a.m., when the site was cleared and students were released to families.
At a separate news conference on Wednesday, Attorney General Merrick Garland said he was “devastated for the families who have been affected by this terrible tragedy.”
“We are still gathering information, but the FBI and ATF are on the scene working with state, local and federal partners,” Garland stated. “The Justice Department stands ready to provide any resources or support that the Winder community needs in the days ahead.”
Vice President Kamala Harris, speaking at a campaign rally in New Hampshire, called the shooting a “senseless tragedy” as she expressed her sorrow and called for action to combat U.S. gun violence.
“It’s just outrageous that every day in our country, in the United States of America, that parents have to send their children to school worried about whether or not their child will come home alive,” the Democratic presidential nominee stated.
“We’ve got to stop it,” she said. “It does not have to be this way,” she reiterated.
The Barrow County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to FOX 5 News in Atlanta that earlier Wednesday morning at about 11:30 a.m. there had been an active-shooter situation and multiple other law-enforcement agencies, including the FBI, had taken part in the response.
Meanwhile, the Republican presidential nominee also expressed his regret over Wednesday’s additional school shooting.
“Our hearts are with the victims and loved ones of those affected by the tragic event in Winder, GA. These cherished children were taken from us far too soon by a sick and deranged monster,” former President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social.
Earlier, at least two people were seen being put into helicopters to be flown for medical treatment. Meanwhile, Grady Memorial Hospital confirmed at 12:20 p.m. that it had received one gunshot victim from the school. No other information was released.
“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,” Republican Gov. Brian Kemp said on X a little before noon.
The high school as of March had an enrollment of slightly more than 1,900 students, according to the Georgia Department of Education.
NewsChopper 2 camera footage showed large crowds of students filtering into the school stadium during the lockdown and scores of emergency vehicles on school property.
