Georgia school shooter believed to be 14-year-old boy, as authorities confirm 4 dead, 9 hospitalized
Four people are dead and nine others have been hospitalized after a school shooting in northern Georgia on Wednesday morning — and the shooter is believed to be a child as young as 14, according to sources.
The shooting happened at Apalachee High School in Winder just before 10:30 a.m.
CNN reported that at least 30 people were injured.
It was not immediately clear if all of the reported injuries were gunshot wounds, they added.
The shooter is believed to be a 14-year-old, law enforcement sources told The Post.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said the gunman is in custody.
It was not clear if he attended the high school, which is about 45 minutes outside Atlanta.
Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith declined to provide more details about the suspect or victims during a brief press conference at 1 p.m.
“We are asking for your patience … please let us get the facts that we need to make sure we get this right,” Smith told reporters.
“This is going to take multiple days for us to get answers as to what happened and why this happened.”
“What you see behind us is evil,” he added, referring to the chaotic scene around the high school campus.
Multiple law enforcement agencies swarmed Apalachee High around 10:30 a.m. after a report of an active shooter, the Barrow County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
No further details have been provided about the conditions of the victims.
Law enforcement had secured the scene and students were being released by around 11:30 a.m., a spokesperson for the Barrow County School District told The Post at the time.
There were dozens of police vehicles from multiple agencies on the lawns outside the high school as officers organized students in the athletic field area, FOX5 reported.
At least two people were seen being loaded into medical helicopters and evacuated, FOX5 said.
An adult with a gunshot wound and a minor with unspecified injuries were transported to a hospital in Athens, home of the University of Georgia, CNN reported.
Some other victims were taken to hospitals in Atlanta.
“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,” Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said.
“We will continue to work with local, state, and federal partners as we gather information and further respond to this situation.”
FBI Atlanta also confirmed that it was aware of the situation and was supporting law enforcement.
The White House confirmed that President Biden was briefed on the matter.
Attorney General Merrick Garland said at a press conference that the Justice Department was ready to assist Georgia authorities with the investigation.
“We are still gathering information, but the FBI and ATF are on the scene working with state, local and federal partners,” Garland explained, adding that he was “devastated for the families who have been affected by this terrible tragedy.”
Apalachee High School was cleared for dismissal, and other schools in the county were on a “soft lockdown,” ABC News reported, citing the school district.
“The Barrow County Sheriff’s Office says this is for the safety of everyone right now. Please do not visit your child’s school at this time. We cannot release students during a lockdown,” the school district said in a statement. “We will let you know as soon as BCSO says it is all clear for dismissal.”
Apalachee senior Sergio Caldera, 17, told ABC News that he was in chemistry class when he heard gunshots.
“My teacher goes and opens the door to see what’s going on. Another teacher comes running in and tells her to close the door because there’s an active shooter,” he said.
Caldera’s teacher locked the door and the students ran to the back of the room, he recalled.
He said they heard screams from outside as they huddled together.
At one point, Caldera said, someone banged on the classroom door and yelled “Open up!” several times.
When the knocking stopped, Caldera heard more gunshots and screaming.
The terrifying shooting came just over a month after Barrow County students returned to classes on Aug. 1.
The district had a four-day weekend for the Labor Day holiday, according to the official calendar.
With Post wires
