"Pure evil" 14-year-old shoots four people at high school - nine injured
Shots have been fired at a school in the US state of Georgia.
Image: dpa
Deadly gun attacks occur again and again in the USA
Image: AP/Jeff Amy
Shots have been fired at a school in the US state of Georgia.
Image: dpa
Deadly gun attacks occur again and again in the USA
Image: AP/Jeff Amy
A gunman opens fire at a school in the US state of Georgia, killing four people. The alleged perpetrator is only 14 years old. His motive is a mystery.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- A 14-year-old opened fire at a school in the US state of Georgia, killing at least four people.
- Two students and two teachers were among the fatalities.
- A further nine people have been taken to hospital. One suspect has been arrested.
- The crime had probably been in the making for a long time - the teenager is no stranger to the police.
- In the USA, rampages and fatal shootings are common. Firearms are readily available and in circulation on a large scale.
A 14-year-old opened fire at a school in the US state of Georgia, killing at least four people. Among the fatalities were two 14-year-old students and two teachers, said Chris Hosey from the local investigating authority. Nine other people were injured in the attack in the town of Winder near Atlanta. Their condition is not life-threatening.
According to investigators, the shooter was a student at Apalachee High School. He has been arrested and is being questioned by the police. The police did not provide any information on a possible motive. However, the crime had probably been suspected for a long time. The teenager is no stranger to the police.
Sheriff: "Love will prevail"
"I want to make it clear that hate will not prevail in this county. (...) Love will prevail over what happened today," said Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith. He described the crime, which took place on Wednesday morning (local time), as "pure evil".
A school policeman had confronted the 14-year-old. The teenager had probably feared that there might be an exchange of fire, lay down on the ground and gave up. Other police officers were quickly on the scene and helped. The investigators announced that the 14-year-old would be charged with murder and treated as an adult.
A classmate described the teenager as calm. "He never really said anything," Lyela Sayarath told the US broadcaster CNN. He also regularly skipped class. Another student said: "I heard screaming and stuff." She didn't think much of it at first, Janice Martinez continued. But then the noise got louder and louder.
The high school students initially sought shelter in their classrooms and eventually gathered in the school's football stadium.
Act raises questions
The schools in the district are to remain closed until the end of the week, the responsible authorities announced. There are many unanswered questions following the crime.
US media had reported that there had already been threatening phone calls the morning before the attack. The investigators did not confirm this when asked. According to Sheriff Smith, there is no direct personal connection between the shooter and the victims.
However, according to a statement from the FBI, there were already several anonymous tips about a possible attack last year. Specifically, there were online threats containing photos of weapons and announcing a gun attack at a school, it said. The alleged shooter and his father were then questioned. "The father stated that he had hunting weapons in the house, but that the suspect did not have unsupervised access to these weapons."
The then 13-year-old denied having threatened an attack. The local schools had been alerted to continue monitoring the teenager. "At this time, there was no credible reason for an arrest or for further law enforcement action," it continued.
Gun violence continues to shake the USA
In the USA, fatal shootings are part of everyday life. Firearms are readily available in the USA and are in circulation on a large scale. Major attacks of this kind, for example at schools, supermarkets, nightclubs or large events, regularly lead to discussions about tightening gun laws - so far without any success. A substantial tightening of gun laws in the USA has been prevented by Republicans for years.
US President Joe Biden and his wife Jill said in a statement: "Students across the country are learning to run and hide instead of learning to read and write. We can no longer accept this as normal." The Democrat again called for a ban on assault rifles.
US Vice President Kamala Harris expressed similar sentiments. "It is simply outrageous that in our country, in the United States of America, parents have to send their children to school every day and worry about whether their child will come home alive," said the Democratic presidential candidate.
Her Republican opponent Donald Trump wrote on the online platform Truth Social, which he co-founded: "These beloved children were taken from us far too soon by a sick and deranged monster." The 78-year-old Trump is running against 59-year-old Harris in the presidential election on November 5.
According to the non-governmental organization Gun Violence Archive, around 11,500 people have died from gun violence in the US since the beginning of this year alone - not including suicides.