Casualties reported in shooting at Georgia high school, sheriff says. A suspect is in custody

WXIA

By Nick Valencia, Shawn Nottingham, Dakin Andone and Chris Boyette, CNN

(CNN) — One suspect is in custody after authorities received a report of an active shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, according to a statement from the Barrow County Sheriff’s Office.

“Casualties have been reported, however details on the number or their conditions is not available at this time,” the statement said.

A local hospital is receiving patients with gunshot wounds, a source at the hospital told CNN. Georgia State Patrol previously said it had responded to an active scene at the school.

At least five ambulances and a large active law enforcement presence were at the campus, according to video from outside the school. A least one medical helicopter could be seen airlifting a patient from the scene. Footage at the scene also showed people gathering on a football field near the school as students appeared to pray.

Follow live updates: Police respond to reported shooting at Georgia high school

Special agents from the FBI have responded to assist local law enforcement, a bureau spokesperson said.

Apalachee High School belongs to the Barrow County School System, which told CNN students have been cleared to leave and parents have been notified to pick them up. Transportation will be provided to students who need it, the district said.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has directed all available state resources to assist at the scene, he said in a statement on social media. The governor urged “all Georgians to join my family in praying for the safety of those in our classrooms, both in Barrow County and across the state.”

Winder, a community about an hour outside of Atlanta, had a population of about 18,338 as of the 2020 census, according to the US Census Bureau. The Barrow County School System is the 24th largest school district in the state, per the district’s website. It serves about 15,340 students, 1,932 of whom are enrolled at Apalachee High School.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

CNN’s Josh Campbell contributed to this report.

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2024 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.