Tragedy Strikes Again: 14-Year-Old Kills Four, Wounds Nine in Georgia High School Shooting
A devastating school shooting has left four people dead and nine others injured in Apalachee High School, Georgia, in the United States. The 14-year-old shooter, who was also a student at the school, was taken into custody after the incident and will be tried as an adult on murder charges.
According to authorities, the shooter had been brought to the FBI’s attention over a year ago for making threats to commit a school shooting. Despite this, he was able to obtain a weapon and carry out the attack on Wednesday.
The shooting occurred when the suspect opened fire in a classroom, killing two students and two teachers. The victims, all 14 years old, were identified as students at the school. The nine wounded individuals are expected to recover.
The investigation is ongoing, with authorities trying to determine how the shooter was able to obtain the weapon and how he planned the attack. Georgia Bureau of Investigation director Chris Hosey said the shooter used an "AR-platform style weapon" and that authorities are investigating how he brought the gun into the school.
Students at the school described the chaos and fear that ensued during the shooting. One student, Alexsandra Romeo, said that initially, they thought it was just another shooter drill, but when their teacher told them it was real, they began to panic. "Everyone just thought it was a fake drill until my teacher said we didn’t get an email," Romeo said. "She got us all in a little corner and everyone was just hugging each other, I had some of my friends crying. Until two police officers came in with their guns and told us that this is not a drill and that we’re still not safe."
The shooting has sparked outrage and sadness across the United States, with many calling for stricter gun control laws. US President Joe Biden said he was mourning the dead and called for an end to the "epidemic of gun violence." Vice President Kamala Harris also spoke out, saying it was time to end the "epidemic of gun violence." Republican US presidential candidate Donald Trump described the perpetrator as a "sick and deranged monster."
This year, there have been at least 384 mass shootings across the United States, according to the Gun Violence Archive. At least 11,557 people have been killed in firearms violence in the country this year, according to the GVA.
As the nation mourns the loss of life and struggles to come to terms with the senseless violence, many are left wondering when the next tragedy will strike.
