Four reported dead in Apalachee High School shooting in US state of Georgia | Gun Violence News

DEVELOPING STORYDEVELOPING STORY,

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation says nine more are injured as investigations unfold into the US’s latest school shooting.

Four people have been killed in Georgia, part of the southern United States, after a shooter opened fire on the grounds of Apalachee High School in the city of Winder, northeast of Atlanta.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation confirmed the preliminary death toll in a post on its social media pages, adding that a suspect has been taken into custody.

“We urge anyone near the area to stay clear while authorities investigate,” the bureau wrote.

According to the Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith, local law enforcement received initial reports that “there was an active shooter on this campus” around 9:30am local time [13:30 GMT].

By 10:23am (14:23 GMT), officers from multiple law enforcement agencies and emergency medical services had been dispatched to Apalachee High School, the sheriff’s office said in a statement.

The campus was placed on lockdown, and students were seen to evacuate to the school’s football stadium.

Live television coverage also showed ambulances appearing on the scene, as well as a medical helicopter arriving to evacuate the wounded. Members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other law enforcement agencies were also in the vicinity of the school.

“Four dead. An additional nine taken to various hospitals with injuries. Suspect in custody and alive,” the Georgia Bureau of Investigation wrote in an early social media dispatch.

Officials speak out

In a press conference shortly after the shooting, Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith said law enforcement was in the midst of a “very, very fluid investigation”. He declined to provide additional details about the dead and wounded, only confirming that “multiple injuries” were reported.

“Obviously, what you see behind us is an evil thing today,” Smith said. “I want to give our sympathies to our community, our school system, our kids, our parents, that had to witness this today.”

US President Joe Biden and members of his administration also weighed in on the unfolding tragedy.

“Jill and I are mourning the deaths of those whose lives were cut short due to more senseless gun violence and thinking of all of the survivors whose lives are forever changed,” Biden said in a press release.

“What should have been a joyous back-to-school season in Winder, Georgia, has now turned into another horrific reminder of how gun violence continues to tear our communities apart. Students across the country are learning how to duck and cover instead of how to read and write. We cannot continue to accept this as normal.”

Another administration official, Attorney General Merrick Garland, began his press conference about election security by acknowledging the events in Winder.

“I’m devastated for the families who have been affected by this terrible tragedy,” Garland said as he began the press conference. “The Justice Department stands ready to provide any resources or support that the Winder community needs in the days ahead.”

Speaking from the campaign trail in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Vice President Kamala Harris — the Democratic nominee for the president — also called the school shooting a “senseless tragedy”.

Misinformation surrounds shooting

The incident is the latest school shooting in the US, where such attacks have become relatively frequent. Critics say they underscore the country’s stasis on the question of gun violence as conservative lawmakers continue to block calls for additional firearms regulations.

US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy declared gun violence a public health crisis in June, saying it has “led to loss of life, unimaginable pain and profound grief for far too many Americans”.

In Winder, officials attempted to tamp down on speculation surrounding the shooting, as rumours swirled.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation, for instance, struck down hearsay that other school shootings had occurred nearby. It added, “Reports that the suspect has been ‘neutralized’ are inaccurate.”

Meanwhile, in his press conference, Sheriff Smith asked for the media’s patience “to please let us get the facts that we need to make sure we get this right”.

“We’re in the process of reunifying our students with their parents,” Sheriff Smith said. “Obviously that’s chaotic. But we want to be respectful of them and their privacy as well.”