DEVELOPING STORY: At least four people were killed and as many as 30 were injured when a gunman opened fire Wednesday morning inside a Georgia high school, CNN reported. Watch video below. Click here to get Todd’s breaking news alerts.
Victims are being transported to hospitals across the Atlanta metro area.
The first call reporting an “active shooter” at Apalachee High School came around 9:30 a.m., Smith said. Deputies and emergency medical personnel rushed to the school at about 10:23 a.m., the Barrow County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation reports a suspect has been taken into custody.
“What you see behind us is an evil thing today,” said Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith at a news conference held Wednesday afternoon on school grounds. Smith told reporters that “we have multiple injuries” but did not share more information about the nature of them.
“This is a very, very fluid investigation,” said Smith. “This is going to take multiple days for us to get answers as to what happened and why this happened.”
Student Sergio Caldera said he was in chemistry class when he heard gunshots.
“My teacher goes and opens the door to see what’s going on. Another teacher comes running in and tells her to close the door because there’s an active shooter,” he told ABC News.
At one point, he said someone pounded on his classroom door and shouted “open up!” multiple times. When the knocking stopped, Caldera said he heard more gunshots and screams.
“I have 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,” Gov. Brian Kemp said in statement.