Shooting at Georgia high school: casualties reported, suspect in custody

WINDER, Ga. (AP) — A shooting at a Georgia high school on Wednesday left an unknown number of people injured but led to a suspect being arrested amid chaos that saw police swarm the school and students seek refuge in the football stadium.

The Barrow County Sheriff's Office said in a statement that one suspect is in custody.

Shortly before 10:30 a.m., “personnel from multiple law enforcement agencies and fire/EMS personnel were dispatched to the high school on reports of a shooting,” a statement from the sheriff's office said.

“Casualties and injuries have been reported but details regarding their numbers and condition are currently unavailable,” the statement added.

Helicopter footage from WSB-TV showed dozens of police and emergency vehicles surrounding Apalachee High School in Barrow County, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) northeast of Atlanta.

Erin Clark, 42, rushed from her job at an Amazon warehouse to her son Ethan, a high school senior, when she received a text message from him saying there was a shooter. The two texted each other, “I love you,” and Clark said she prayed for her son in the car on the way to the school.

The main road to the school was closed, so Clark parked his car and ran with other parents, who were then escorted to the football field where, amid the chaos, Clark spotted Ethan sitting in the stands.

Clark said her son was writing an essay in class when he first heard the gunfire, after which he and a classmate barricaded themselves in the door and hid.

“I'm so proud of him for doing that,” she said. “He was really brave.”

A little more than a month before Wednesday's shooting, students had just started the new school year.

“I'm scared to send him back,” she said. “I don't know what to do.”

Traffic to the school was backed up for more than a mile as parents tried to pick up their children.

“I am committing all available state resources to respond to the incident at Apalachee High School and ask all Georgians to join my family in praying for the safety of students in classrooms in Barrow County and across the state,” Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said in a statement.

“We continue to work with our local, state and federal partners to gather information and further respond to this situation,” Kemp added.

“FBI Atlanta is aware of the current situation at Apalachee High School in Barrow County. Agents are on scene and working with and assisting local law enforcement,” the FBI's Atlanta field office said in a statement.

The White House said President Joe Biden was briefed on the shooting by Homeland Security Adviser Liz Sherwood Randall and that the administration would work with federal, state and local authorities as more information becomes available.

Calls and messages to the Barrow County Sheriff's Office and the school were not immediately returned.

Apalachee High School has about 1,900 students, according to Georgia Department of Education records. The school opened in 2000 and is the second-largest public high school in Barrow County, according to the Barrow County School System. The school is named after the Apalachee River, which runs through the southern edge of Barrow County.

The shooting also sent ripples through Atlanta, where authorities said patrols were stepped up in the city's schools. “Out of an abundance of caution, we will be increasing patrols in Atlanta's schools for the remainder of the day,” Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said.