ATLANTA — Four people were killed and nine others were taken to various hospitals after a shooting at Apalachee High School in Barrow County, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said Wednesday afternoon.
One person was in custody, the state agency confirmed.
Barrow Sheriff Jud Smith said early Wednesday afternoon that “every minute” the investigation was updating. Federal and state agencies were assisting with the investigation.
“First and foremost, I want to lift up our community,” Smith said. “I want to give our sympathies to our community, our school system, our kids, our parents that had to witness this today.”
Several law enforcement agencies responded around 10:20 a.m. to the school, which was placed on lockdown following reports of an active shooting, the Barrow sheriff’s office said.
At 10:23 a.m., 11th grader Henry van der Walt texted his mother: “I think there’s a school shooting.”
Minutes later, Becky van der Walt got another message.
“I love you,” Henry wrote.
The text exchange was likely repeated hundreds of times during several chaotic hours for both students and parents. Students were led from the school outside, where parents rushed to find them.
As the details were slowly confirmed during the day, the sheriff said he expected to have more information later Wednesday.
“This is going to take multiple days to get answers,” he said during a news conference near the school shortly after 1 p.m.
Barrow Coroner Kenneth Cooper said early Wednesday afternoon he could not confirm information about those killed.
One gunshot victim was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital, the hospital confirmed Wednesday afternoon. Two other victims were taken to regional hospitals in Barrow and Gainesville, according to the Northeast Georgia Medical System. The Barrow hospital was also treating some who suffered anxiety or panic attacks.
Footage from WSB-TV's NewsChopper 2 showed large crowds of students filtering into the high school’s stadium during the lockdown. Several ambulances were at the scene as well. By late morning, students were released to their families and school officials said buses would be running for those needing transportation home.
Frantic parents rushed to the school, with many forced to park and walk to reach the campus while searching for their children.
Apalachee sophomore Alexsandra Romero said she was in her second-period class when another student barged in yelling for everyone to get down.
”I wasn’t texting my family at first, because I thought it was just a drill,” Romero told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Since the school had prepared for this scenario, Romero said she and her classmates knew what to do.
”I can just remember my hands were shaking,” Romero said. “I felt bad because everybody was crying, everybody was trying to find their siblings.”
Romero said she caught glimpses of blood and guns lying on the ground as she was escorted from the building.
”I can still picture everything, like the blood, the shouting and everything,” Romero said.
Apalachee High was the only school cleared for dismissal as of midday Wednesday. Other Barrow County schools will remain in a soft lockdown “for the safety of everyone right now,” the school district said.
According to the White House, President Joe Biden was briefed on the shooting and his administration planned to coordinate with federal, state and local authorities. Gov. Brian Kemp said he directed all available state resources to respond to the high school, which is about 8 miles east of Dacula, southwest of Winder.
“(I) 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,” Kemp added. “We will continue to work with local, state and federal partners as we gather information and further respond to this situation.”
FBI Atlanta said it was aware of the shooting and that agents were on scene to coordinate and assist local authorities. GBI agents were also providing help, and the state agency urged everyone to stay clear of the area.
Apalachee High had an enrollment of just over 1,900 students as of March, according to the Georgia Department of Education. The department said it was also monitoring the situation.
“I am devastated by the news of the tragic shooting at Apalachee High School today,” Richard Woods, state school superintendent, said in a statement. “My heart and prayers are with the families and loved ones of those affected and the entire Barrow County community. This is an unimaginable loss for Barrow and for our entire educational community across the state.”
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens also issued a statement after the shooting.
”My prayers are with the high school students, staff and families affected by the senseless act of violence in Winder, Georgia,” he said. “I have been in contact with Chief (Darin) Schierbaum, and the Atlanta Police Department has been working with the Atlanta Public Schools Police Department to bolster patrols around our schools for the rest of the day out of an abundance of caution.
“APD has also been on standby in case law enforcement agencies need assistance with this incident. May God comfort the victims and their loved ones in the difficult days ahead.”
(Journal-Constitution staff writers Lexi Baker and Henri Hollis contributed to this article.)
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