Sept. 4 (UPI) — At least two people are dead and four others injured after reports of shots fired at a Georgia high school, according to reports.
One person is reportedly in custody, authorities said, as students currently are being reunited with their families.
The day’s shooting was called “an evil thing” by a police official during an early afternoon press conference.
“We’re in the process of reunifying students with their parents,” he said. A separate 4 p.m. EDT media update is planned.
The police official said the situation is “fluid” and the investigation is “very active” and ever-developing.
The investigation “is going to take multiple days for us to get answers,” the spokesperson said as he asked for patience from the public and news media.
The Wednesday morning shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, located in Barrow County just east of the state’s capital in Atlanta, saw multiple of law enforcement agencies respond before 10:30 a.m. local time.
The Barrow County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to FOX 5 News in Atlanta that earlier Wednesday morning at about 11:30 a.m. there had been an active-shooter situation and multiple other law-enforcement agencies, including the FBI, had taken part in the response.
At least two people were seen being put into helicopters to be flown for medical treatment. Meanwhile, Grady Memorial Hospital confirmed at 12:20 p.m. that it had received one gunshot victim from the school. No other information was released.
“I have directed all available state resources to respond to the incident at Apalachee High School and 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,” Republican Gov. Brian Kemp said on X a little before noon.
The school was under lockdown until a little before 11:30 a.m., when the site was cleared and students released to families.
The high school as of March had an enrollment of slightly more than 1,900 students, according to the Georgia Department of Education.
NewsChopper 2 camera footage showed large crowds of students filtering into the school stadium during the lockdown and scores of emergency vehicles on school property.
This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.