By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
ATLANTA, USA (Worthy News) – Numerous people have been killed and injured in a shooting at a high school near Atlanta, officials say.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) said Wednesday that four people died, and at least nine were wounded in the tragedy.
The suspected gunman is believed to be a 14-year-old boy, a law enforcement source said. His motive was not immediately clear.
He is alive and in custody, the GBI said on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
The high school had received an earlier phone threat, multiple law enforcement officials told the media.
As the shootings broke out, the school sent a message to parents at 10:45 a.m. local time, stating, “Apalachee High School is currently in a hard lockdown after reports of gunfire. Law enforcement is here. Please do not attempt to come to the school at this time while officers work to secure the area.”
FLUID INVESTIGATION
Police were soon on the scene, suggested Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith. The police official said calls about an active shooting at Apalachee High School started coming in around 9:30 a.m., Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith said.
“This is a very, very fluid investigation,” Smith said in a news conference outside the school. “What you see behind us is an evil thing.”
Wednesday’s tragedy was the latest in a series of school shootings shattering the United States amid an ongoing debate about gun control.
U.S. President Joe Biden said he and first lady Jill Biden are mourning those killed in the shooting. He demanded that Congress move to pass gun control legislation.
“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,” Biden said.
“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,” the president added.
Copyright 1999-2024 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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