A 14-year-old gunman killed four people, including two students, and wounded nine others at a high school in Georgia on Wednesday. The shooter, also a student, was taken into custody and will be charged with murder and tried as an adult, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Two teachers were among the dead in this latest incident of gun violence in the United States. Nearly 400 mass shootings have occurred this year alone. Following the shooting, people gathered at a sports field outside Apalachee High School, forming a circle with their arms linked.
School authorities had earlier enforced a “hard lockdown” after reports of gunfire. County sheriff Jud Smith stated that the school resource officer engaged the shooter, who surrendered and was taken into custody.
Authorities have not yet identified the weapon or determined if the shooter targeted specific individuals. After the all-clear, parents were invited to the school to reunite with their children, with long lines of vehicles visible outside.
One student reported seeing blood on the floor and a body as he was led out of the building. Another student texted his mother, “I love you,” during the incident.
The shooting occurred near Winder, about 45 miles northeast of Atlanta. US President Joe Biden expressed his sorrow, stating that students are learning to “duck and cover” instead of how to read and write.
School shootings have become a regular occurrence in the US, where about a third of adults own a firearm. Despite polls showing support for stricter gun controls, the powerful gun lobby has opposed additional restrictions.
Vice President Kamala Harris called for an end to the “epidemic of gun violence.” Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump described the shooter as a “sick and deranged monster.”
This year, there have been at least 384 mass shootings in the US, with over 11,557 people killed in firearms violence, according to the Gun Violence Archive.
