A shooting at Apalachee High School in north-central Georgia on Wednesday left four people dead and nine injured, authorities said.
At Apalachee High School, about 40 miles northeast of Atlanta, students and faculty were evacuated from the building and moved to the school's football field, where many students gathered in a prayer circle.
The Apalachee High School football team lost 49-7 to Cherokee Bluff in its home opener on Aug. 27. The football team is scheduled to return to the field for its fourth game of the year against Monroe Area, but the status of the game is unclear.
Following Wednesday's shooting, several of the school's rival football teams and even local universities took to social media to express their support and prayers for the Winder, Georgia high school.
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Apalachee is in its second year under coach Mike Hannock and started the season 0-3. The team failed to record a win in Hannock's first year at the helm in 2023 and 2022. The team's last win came in November 2021 when they beat Jackson County 34-28 in the season finale.
The shooting happened at the school just before 10:30 a.m. Wednesday. The suspect is in custody and is believed to be a 14-year-old boy. It is unclear if the suspect is a student at the school.
Live updates: Deadly shooting at Georgia high school
Officers investigate a shooting that occurred at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia on September 4, 2024. (Reuters/Elijah Nouvellaj)
Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith declined to provide any details about the suspect or victims during a brief news conference.
“We ask for everyone's patience … to give us the facts we need to properly understand this case,” Smith told reporters. “It will take a few days to get the answers as to what happened and why this happened.”
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Students evacuated to the football stadium after the school was placed on lockdown at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, on Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024. (AP via WSB)
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp told reporters that the state was dedicating all resources it could to help.
“I am directing all available state resources to respond to the incident at Apalachee High School and ask all Georgians to join my family in praying for the safety of students in classrooms in Barrow County and across the state,” Kemp said.
“We continue to work with our local, state and federal partners to gather information and further respond to this situation.”
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