Suspect in custody after Georgia high school shooting; casualties reported

A suspect was in custody Wednesday after a shooting at a Georgia high school resulted in an unspecified number of casualties, the local sheriff’s office said in a statement, according to The Associated Press.

“Casualties have been reported, however details on the number or their conditions is not available at this time,” the statement from the Barrow County Sheriff’s Office read.

The sheriff’s office said that shortly before 10:30 a.m. EDT, Fire and EMS personnel were dispatched to Apalachee High School in Barrow County “in reference to a reported active shooting.”

FBI agents and local authorities were also on scene as the school remained on lockdown Wednesday afternoon.

“FBI Atlanta is aware of the current situation at Apalachee High School in Barrow County,” an FBI Atlanta statement shortly before noon Wednesday read. “Our agents are on scene coordinating with and supporting local law enforcement.”

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) said in a post on the social platform X he “directed all available state resources to respond to the incident,” adding that he was working with “local, state, and federal partners as we gather information and further respond to this situation.”

“[I] 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,” Kemp said.

The high school notified parents around 10:45 a.m. that the school was “in a hard lockdown after reports of gunfire,” according to local reports.

“Law enforcement is here. Please do not attempt to come to the school at this time while officers work to secure the area,” the morning statement read.