NBC News: 2 killed, 4 injured in shooting at Apalachee High School; suspect in custody

BARROW COUNTY, Ga. — A suspect is in custody and casualties have been reported in a shooting at Apalachee High School in Barrow County on Wednesday morning, the sheriff’s office said.

NBC News is reporting two people were killed and four others were injured. 

11Alive has confirmed Grady Hospital in Atlanta received one patient. The status of that patient was not clear.

A live report is available in the video player above this story and below. 

Students were being released to parents and guardians, the district told 11Alive at 11:33 a.m. A release from the Barrow County Sheriff’s Office said officers from multiple agencies responded at 10:23 a.m. “in reference to a reported active shooting.”

Unconfirmed reports have circulated about other schools in the area. The principal of Holsenbeck Elementary said in a Facebook post that all district schools were in a soft lockdown.

“The Barrow County Sheriff’s Office says this is for the safety of everyone right now. For the safety of everyone, we cannot release students during a lockdown. We will let you know as soon as BCSO says it is all clear for HES to dismiss,” a post by Principal Aperil Sellers said.

“At the time of this release, one suspect is in custody. Casualties have been reported, however details on the number or their conditions is not available at this time,” the sheriff’s release stated. “This is an ongoing situation.”

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said on X: “GBI has responded to a shooting @ Apalachee H.S. in Barrow Co.  We have agents on site assisting local, state, & federal law enforcement w/ the investigation.  One suspect in custody.  We urge anyone near the area to stay clear while authorities investigate. More info to follow.”

Gov. Brian Kemp said in a post on X he has “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. We will continue to work with local, state, and federal partners as we gather information and further respond to this situation.”

The White House issued a statement: “President Biden has been briefed by his Homeland Security Advisor, Liz Sherwood-Randall, on the tragic shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia and his administration will continue coordinating with federal, state, and local officials as we receive more information.”

The FBI’s Atlanta office also said it was aware of the situation and its agents are on scene.

The school is located on Haymon Morris Road just outside Winder city limits in Barrow County.

Haymon Morris Middle School, Yargo Elementary School and Cadence Academy Preschool are all nearby. It was not initially clear how those schools are impacted.

This is a developing story. Refresh for updates.

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