4 useless in Georgia highschool capturing, 14-year-old suspect arrested: authorities

Norman Ray

International Courant

4 folks have been killed in a capturing at Apalachee Excessive Faculty in Winder, Georgia, on Wednesday morning, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation reported.

One other 9 victims have been taken to hospitals with accidents, the GBI mentioned.

The suspect is alive and in custody, the GBI mentioned. The suspect is a 14-year-old scholar at Apalachee Excessive Faculty, a number of legislation enforcement sources informed ABC Information.

- Advertisement -

Law enforcement officials on the scene of a capturing at Apalachee Excessive Faculty in Winder, Georgia, Sept. 4, 2024.

Erik S Lesser/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Folks stroll close to the scene of a capturing at Apalachee Excessive Faculty in Winder, Georgia, Sept. 4, 2024.

Erik S Lesser/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Senior Sergio Caldera, 17, mentioned he was in chemistry class when he heard gunshots.

- Advertisement -

“My instructor goes to open the door to see what is going on on. One other instructor comes working in and tells her to shut the door as a result of there’s an lively shooter,” Caldera informed ABC Information.

He mentioned his instructor locked the door and the scholars ran to the again of the room. Caldera mentioned they heard screams from exterior as they “huddled collectively.”

At one level, Caldera mentioned, somebody banged on the door of his classroom and yelled “open up!” a number of instances. When the knocking stopped, Caldera mentioned he heard extra gunshots and screaming.

- Advertisement -

He mentioned his class was later evacuated to the soccer area.

Law enforcement officials are seen exterior Apalachee Excessive Faculty in Winder, Georgia, on September 4, 2024.

WSB

Kyson Stancion mentioned he was in school when he heard gunshots and “heard police yelling and somebody saying, ‘There’s pictures being fired, get down, get again within the classroom.'”

“I used to be scared as a result of I had by no means skilled a college capturing earlier than,” he informed ABC Information.

“Everybody was crying. My instructor was attempting to maintain everybody protected,” he added.

A medical helicopter is seen in entrance of Apalachee Excessive Faculty following a capturing on the faculty, Sept. 4, 2024, in Winder, Georgia.

Mike Stewart/AP

Dad and mom escort their baby from Apalachee Excessive Faculty after a capturing on the faculty, Sept. 4, 2024, in Winder, Georgia.

Mike Stewart/AP

Father Jonathan Mills mentioned he skilled an “emotional rollercoaster” as he and his spouse ran to the varsity and waited to catch their son Jayden.

It was “thrilling” and “overwhelming” to succeed in Jayden, a third-year scholar, and listen to he was doing effectively, Mills informed ABC Information.

Mills, a police officer, mentioned: “If you develop up on this neighborhood, you do not anticipate issues like this to occur.”

“I’ve three children. All of them go to this faculty group, and also you by no means give it some thought,” he mentioned.

College students exterior Apalachee Excessive Faculty in Winder, Georgia, on September 4, 2024.

WSB

College students exterior Apalachee Excessive Faculty in Winder, Georgia, on September 4, 2024.

WSB

Apalachee Excessive Faculty was “accredited to shut” and all different faculties in Barrow County have been positioned on a “gentle lockdown,” based on the Barrow County Faculty District.

“The Barrow County Sheriff’s Workplace says that is for the protection of everybody at the moment. Please don’t go to your kid’s faculty at the moment. We can’t launch college students throughout a lockdown,” the varsity district mentioned in a press release.

Winder is positioned roughly 45 miles exterior of Atlanta.

Dad and mom choose up their kids after a capturing at Apalachee Excessive Faculty in Winder, Georgia on September 4, 2024.

Christian Monterrosa/AFP through Getty Pictures

In keeping with the White Home, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have been briefed on the capturing.

“Jill and I mourn the deaths of these whose lives have been lower brief by extra mindless gun violence and consider all of the survivors whose lives have been modified ceaselessly,” Biden mentioned in a press release. “College students throughout the nation are being taught the right way to duck and canopy as a substitute of the right way to learn and write. We will now not settle for this as enterprise as normal.”

A police officer talks to a lady close to the scene of a capturing at Apalachee Excessive Faculty in Winder, Georgia, Sept. 4, 2024.

Erik S Lesser/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

The president highlighted his work to fight gun violence, together with signing the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act and launching the primary White Home Workplace of Gun Violence Prevention. However he confused that extra must be finished.

“After a long time of inaction, Republicans in Congress should lastly say ‘sufficient is sufficient’ and work with Democrats to move commonsense gun security laws,” Biden mentioned. “We should re-ban assault rifles and large-capacity magazines, require protected storage of firearms, implement common background checks, and finish immunity for gun producers. These measures will not deliver again these tragically killed in the present day, however they are going to assist forestall extra tragic gun violence from tearing extra households aside.”

Harris mentioned at a marketing campaign rally in New Hampshire: “Our hearts are with all the scholars, the lecturers and their households.”

“That is simply one other mindless tragedy on prime of so many mindless tragedies,” she mentioned. “We’ve got to finish this epidemic of gun violence.”

“This is without doubt one of the many points at stake on this election,” Harris mentioned.

“Let’s lastly have an assault weapons ban and common background checks and crimson flag legal guidelines,” she mentioned. “It is a false option to say you are both for the Second Modification otherwise you wish to take everybody’s weapons away. I am for the Second Modification, and I do know we’d like affordable gun security legal guidelines in our nation.”

Police arrive as college students are evacuated to the soccer stadium after the varsity grounds have been locked down at Apalachee Excessive Faculty in Winder, Georgia, on September 4, 2024.

Jeff Amy/AP

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp mentioned he was “heartbroken.”

“It is a day that each dad or mum dreads, and Georgians in every single place will probably be hugging their kids even tighter tonight due to this painful occasion,” he mentioned in a press release. “We proceed to work intently with native, state and federal companions to mobilize each useful resource to assist this group on this extremely troublesome day and within the days forward.”

In Atlanta, authorities will “enhance patrols round faculties” on Wednesday “out of an abundance of warning,” Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens mentioned in a press release.

“My prayers are with the highschool college students, workers and households affected by this mindless act of violence,” Dickens mentioned.

It is a creating story. Examine again for updates.

ABC Information’ Josh Margolin, Brandon Baur, Religion Abubey and Miles Cohen contributed to this report.

4 useless in Georgia highschool capturing, 14-year-old suspect arrested: authorities

World Information,Subsequent Massive Factor in Public Knowledg

Share This Article