Georgia high school shooting: Police investigate after at least four shot dead

Police are investigating after at least four people were killed and dozens were hurt in a shooting at a Georgia high school .

Authorities responded to Apalachee High School in Barrow County, Georgia, around 10:30 a.m. Wednesday after gunshots were reported at the campus. At least four people are dead and nine people have been taken to the hospital with injuries, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation confirmed.

A suspect is alive and in custody, the bureau said. The suspect is 14, CNN reports, but it is unclear if they attended the school.

“Apalachee High School is currently in a hard lockdown after reports of gunfire,” school officials wrote in a message to parents around 10:45 am local time. “Law enforcement is here. Please do not attempt to come to the school at this time while officers work to secure the area.”

Local officials said they are still in the process of reunifying students with their parents as of 1 pm local time.

Parents are rushing to pick up their students, who have been cleared to be released by authorities. Students are gathering at a nearby stadium, according to WSB-TV.

Sergio Caldera, a 17-year-old senior at the school, told ABC News he was in chemistry class when gunshots rang out.

“My teacher goes and opens the door to see what’s going on,” Caldera said. “Another teacher comes running in and tells her to close the door because there’s an active shooter.”

Caldera said someone banged on their classroom door and shouted “open up” several times. Afterward, he heard more gunfire and screaming.

Fox 5 reported witnessing at least two people being airlifted off the campus. Dozens of law enforcement officers have responded and emergency responders are treating people at the school, according to Fox 5. At least six ambulances are on the scene as of noon local time, WSB-TV reports.

A local hospital told CNN they have received patients with gunshot wounds.

President Joe Biden has been briefed on the situation by Homeland Security Advisor Liz Sherwood-Randall, the White House said in a statement. Vice President Kamala Harris has also been briefed.

“Jill and I are mourning the deaths of those whose lives were cut short due to more senseless gun violence and thinking of all of the survivors whose lives are forever changed,” Biden said in a statement. “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.”

Governor Brian Kemp has “directed all available state resources” to the school.

“We will continue to work with local, state, and federal partners as we gather information and further respond to this situation,” Kemp said .

The FBI is coordinating with local authorities to investigate. Georgia State Patrol troopers and officers from both Barrow and Winder counties have also responded.

Roughly 1,900 students attend Apalachee High School, which is 40 miles outside of Atlanta.

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said his “prayers are with the high school students, staff and families affected by the senseless act of violence.”

“I have been in contact with Chief 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,” Dickens said. “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.”

Vice presidential candidate Tim Walz also spoke on the incident while at a campaign event in Pennsylvania .

“Before we get started, our team just briefed me on this, we have a school shooting going on in Georgia at this time,” Walz said. “We’re on it, and the White House has been briefed on it.”

“This is tragic. We don’t know any of the details on it yet, but it’s a situation that’s all too common and and our hearts are out there right now...Our work needs to be to prevent these in the future as we know,” he continued. “I know it’s a little bit of a heavy heart for all.”

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, called for swift justice following the shooting.

“Our prayers go out today for the Apalachee High School community, and especially the victims and their families who have endured this terrible tragedy,” Johnson said in a statement. “The officers of the Winder Police Department are commended for their quick action in apprehending the suspect. May justice here be swift.”