At least four people lost their lives, and nine others were injured in a tragic high school shooting in Georgia on Wednesday. Authorities have confirmed that a suspect is now in custody.
This incident adds to the growing gun violence crisis in the U.S., with nearly 400 mass shootings reported this year alone. Following the attack, people gathered at a sports field outside Apalachee High School, some holding hands in a circle.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation reported that four individuals were killed in the attack, but no motive has been revealed yet.
“Nine others were taken to various hospitals with injuries. The suspect is alive and in custody. Any reports claiming the suspect has been ‘neutralized’ are incorrect,” the bureau shared on social media.
Earlier, school officials had alerted parents, enforcing a “hard lockdown” due to gunfire reports.
Once the all-clear was given, parents were called to the school to reunite with their children, with long lines of vehicles seen outside the campus.
One student told local reporters that he saw blood on the floor and a body as he was escorted out of the building. “I heard gunshots… at first, I thought it was a drill until the shots and screams became real,” said the unnamed student in an interview with Fox 5 News.
Another student, Henry van der Walt, texted his mother during the incident. “I think there’s a school shooting,” he messaged, followed by, “I love you.”
Television footage captured ambulances arriving at the scene, with a large number of vehicles surrounding the school about two hours after the first reports of the attack.
The shooting took place near Winder, around 45 miles from Atlanta.
President Joe Biden expressed his sorrow, saying, “Students should be learning to read and write, not how to hide from bullets. We can’t keep accepting this as normal.”
Gun violence has become an all-too-common reality in the U.S., where approximately one-third of adults own firearms, and regulations remain lax, even for high-powered rifles. Despite widespread public support for stricter gun laws, opposition from the gun lobby has stymied meaningful legislative action.
Vice President Kamala Harris also addressed the issue during a New Hampshire campaign event, calling for an end to the “epidemic of gun violence.”
Former President Donald Trump weighed in as well, describing the shooter as a “sick and deranged monster.”
So far this year, the Gun Violence Archive reports at least 384 mass shootings in the U.S., involving four or more victims. Over 11,500 lives have been lost to gun violence this year alone.
