Atlanta, GA

A 14-year-old student fatally shot 4 people in a rampage at a Georgia high school, officials say

Published

4 days ago

September 4, 2024

A 14-year-old student fatally shot 4 people in a rampage at a Georgia high school, officials say

A 14-year-old student opened fire at a Georgia high school and killed four people on Wednesday, authorities said, sending students scrambling for shelter in their classrooms — and eventually to the football stadium — as officers swarmed the campus and parents raced to find out if their children were safe.

The dead were identified as two students and two teachers at Apalachee High School in Winder, about an hour’s drive from Atlanta. At least nine other people were taken to hospitals with injuries.

The words “hard lockdown” appeared on a screen in junior Layla Ferrell’s health class and lights began flashing. She and her frightened classmates piled desks and chairs in front of the door to create a barricade, she recalled.

Sophomore Kaylee Abner was in geometry class when she heard the gunshots. She and her classmates ducked behind their teacher’s desk, and then the teacher began flipping the desk in an attempt to barricade the classroom door, Abner said. A classmate beside her was praying, and she held his hand while they all waited for police.

After students poured into the football stadium, Abner saw teachers who had taken off their shirts to help treat gunshot wounds.

Two school resource officers encountered the shooter within minutes after a report of shots fired went out, Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Chris Hosey said. The suspect, a student at the school, immediately surrendered and was taken into custody. He is being charged as an adult with murder.

Authorities were still looking into how the suspect obtained the gun used in the shooting and got it into the school in Barrow County, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) northeast of Atlanta. At an afternoon news conference, officials would not say what type of gun was used.

Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith choked up as he began to speak during the briefing. He said he was born and raised in the community and his kids are in the school system.

“My heart hurts for these kids. My heart hurts for our community,” he said. “But I want to make it very clear that hate will not prevail in this county. I want that to be very clear and known. Love will prevail over what happened today.”

It was the the latest among dozens of school shootings across the U.S. in recent years, including especially deadly ones in Newtown, Connecticut, Parkland, Florida, and Uvalde, Texas. The classroom killings have set off fervent debates about gun control and frayed the nerves of parents whose children are growing up accustomed to active shooter drills in classrooms. But they have done little to move the needle on national gun laws.

Before Wednesday, there had been 29 mass killings in the U.S. so far this year, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University. At least 127 people have died in those killings, which are defined as incidents in which four or more people die within a 24-hour period, not including the killer — the same definition used by the FBI.

Last year ended with 217 deaths from 42 mass killings, making 2023 one of the deadliest years on record for such shootings in the country.

On Wednesday in Georgia, sophomore football player Jacob King said he had dozed off in his world history class after a morning practice when he heard about 10 gunshots.

King said he didn’t believe the shooting was real until he heard an officer yelling at someone to put down their gun. When his class was led out, he saw officers shielding what appeared to be an injured student.

Ashley Enoh was at home in the morning when she got a text from her brother, a senior at Apalachee High: “Just so you know, I love you.”

When Erin Clark, 42, received a text from her son Ethan, a senior, saying there was an active shooter, she rushed from her job at the Amazon warehouse to the school. The two texted “I love you,” and Clark said she prayed for her him as she drove.

With the main road to the school blocked, she parked and ran with other parents. They were directed to the football field, and amid the chaos, Clark found Ethan sitting on the bleachers.

Clark said her son was writing an essay in class when he first heard gunfire. He worked with his classmates to barricade the door and hide.

“I’m so proud of him for doing that,” she said. “He was so brave.”

“It makes me scared to send him back,” Clark said. “I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

Traffic going to the school was backed up for more than a mile as parents tried to get to their children. Barrow County schools will be closed for the rest of the week as they cooperate with the investigation, but grief counseling will be available.

“It’s just outrageous that every day, in our country, in the United States of America, that parents have to send their children to school worried about whether or not their child will come home alive,” Vice President Kamala Harris said during a campaign stop in New Hampshire.

In a message posted to social media, former President Donald Trump said: “These cherished children were taken from us far too soon by a sick and deranged monster.”

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said in a statement: “This is a day every parent dreads, and Georgians everywhere will hug their children tighter this evening because of this painful event.”

The FBI’s Atlanta office said its agents were at the school “coordinating with and supporting local law enforcement.”

Apalachee High School has about 1,900 students, according to records from Georgia education officials. It opened in 2000, and is named after the Apalachee River on the southern edge of Barrow County, according to the school system.

The shooting had reverberations in Atlanta, where Mayor Andre Dickens said patrols of schools were beefed up.

In Winder, Abner said that when she goes home Wednesday night, she hopes to avoid thinking about those terrifying moments in her geometry class.

“I’ll probably not think about it, even though it happened,” she said. “Just think happy thoughts, don’t think about it anymore.”

Sophomore Shantal Sanvee, who was in a classroom near the gunshots, said “I saw, like, a whole lot of blood. And it was just, it was just horrible.”

“I don’t think I want to be here for like a long time now,” she added.

As an officer led students towards the stadium, freshman Michelle Moncada was in tears. People she knew had been shot, and she saw one friend on the floor who had been grazed by a bullet.

“It doesn’t feel real,” Moncada said.

___

Associated Press journalists Sharon Johnson and Mike Stewart in Winder; Beatrice Dupuy in New York; Russ Bynum in Savannah, Georgia; and Charlotte Kramon, Kate Brumback and Jeff Martin in Atlanta contributed.

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Atlanta, GA

Getting through Atlanta was something to celebrate for some playoff drivers

Published

3 hours ago

September 8, 2024

Press Room

Getting through Atlanta was something to celebrate for some playoff drivers

HAMPTON, Ga. — A sense of relief pervaded over pit road for many after Sunday’s playoff opener at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Because, quite frankly, it could have been worse.

They could have been Kyle Larson, Martin Truex Jr. and Chase Briscoe. All three finished 35th or worse.

While Joey Logano — who entered the playoffs seeded ninth — celebrated the victory and moved on to the second round of the playoffs, even Ty Gibbs could crack a brief smile after watching a chance to win turn into a 17th-place finish.

Joey Logano moves on a year after he was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.

Gibbs holds the final transfer spot with races left at Watkins Glen and Bristol in the first round. Those are viewed by many as wildcard races because of the tire wear that is expected at both events.

Even sitting on the cutline is a move up for Gibbs. He had entered the race last among the 16 playoff drivers in the standings.

Gibbs led with four laps to go to the scheduled distance and was in position to give the series its second first-time in the past three weeks.

But one wrong move changed everything.

“I was a little frustrated in myself because I didn’t block and just kind of put myself to the back,” Gibbs said. “So it’s my fault. Frustrated about that, but I’m just glad that we got good points and finished the race, honestly.”

Gibbs left the track with a one-point lead on Brad Keselowski, the first driver below the cutline.

NASCAR Cup Series Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart

Joey Logano advances to the second round of the playoff with his victory.

Daniel Suarez was in position to sweep the Atlanta Cup races but finished second. After celebrating at this track in February, standing on pit road didn’t feel as good. Still, he went from 11th in the standings entering the race to ninth. He’s 22 points ahead of Keselowski.

“Honestly, right now, I don’t care about points,” Suarez said. “It’s just hard that we’re not in Victory Lane, but that’s part of it. Maybe there is a couple of things I could have done better.”

Ryan Blaney finished third, scoring a race-high 53 points and went from fifth in the points entering the event to first afterward.

“Even though we don’t advance automatically, we had a great day,” he said. “Winning a stage, second in the other, running … third today. That’s a really good day.”

Joey Logano scored his second victory of the season.

It was much better than others. Larson entered as the points leader because he had more playoff points than anybody else. But he finished 37th after an early crash and fell to 10th in the points. He’s 15 points ahead of Keselowski.

Chase Briscoe couldn’t avoid Larson and damaged his car beyond repair. Briscoe finished last in the 38-car field and fell to last in the playoff standings. He’s 21 points behind Gibbs.

“We just have to go win,” Briscoe said. “That’s what we had to do at Darlington and I know we’re capable of doing it again, so we’ll just have to go to Watkins Glen and Bristol and try to do the same.”

Truex is in a similar position after an awful day. He is 19 points behind Gibbs after finishing 35th. Truex was among three Joe Gibbs Racing cars that started at the rear after changing plug wires before the race. He had a pit road speeding penalty and his car was damaged when he hit Ryan Blaney’s car after Chris Buescher had hit Blaney on Lap 206.

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Atlanta, GA

Atlanta Falcons wear Apalachee HS t-shirts, hold moment of silence for shooting victims

Published

10 hours ago

September 8, 2024

Press Room

Atlanta Falcons wear Apalachee HS t-shirts, hold moment of silence for shooting victims

Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson #7 before the Week 1 Game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia on Sunday, September 8, 2024. (Photo by Shanna Lockwood/Atlanta Falcons)

ATLANTA – The Atlanta Falcons went into their home opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers with respect, paying homage to the victims of the Apalachee High School shooting.

The players wore Apalachee Wildcats t-shirts on the field during pregame warm-ups.

They also held a moment of silence for math teachers Richard Aspinwall and Christina Irimie, and 14-year-old Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo who were killed on September 4. Nine others were injured in the gunfire, according to the GBI.

How to help Apalachee High School shooting victims

The Falcons’ new quarterback Kirk Cousins said Coach Raheem Morris told the team about the deadly shooting the day it happened.

SEE ALSO: Apalachee High School accused shooter’s mother called the school, Washington Post reports

“It was very sobering,” Cousins said, as reported by Falcons senior reporter Tori McElhaney. “We’re praying for the families affected. The school, the community. It’s a tough deal. Going to go home tonight and hug and kiss my kids.”

Apalachee High School is about 20 miles away from the Falcons’ Flowery Branch training facility.

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Atlanta, GA

NASCAR 2024 playoffs at Atlanta: Start time, TV, streaming, lineup for Quaker State 400

Published

17 hours ago

September 8, 2024

Press Room

NASCAR 2024 playoffs at Atlanta: Start time, TV, streaming, lineup for Quaker State 400

Following 26 regular-season races, the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs are set to begin Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Sixteen drivers enter the 10-race playoffs with championship aspirations as the first round kicks off with three very different styles of racing: a superspeedway at Atlanta, a road course race at Watkins Glen International and a short-track race at Bristol Motor Speedway. From there, the bottom four drivers in the playoff standings will be eliminated ahead of the second round.

But before we look too far ahead, we focus on Atlanta.

When the Cup Series raced there this February, it produced one of the most electrifying finishes in recent memory, with Daniel Suarez winning a three-wide battle to the line over Ryan Blaney and Kyle Busch in a photo finish that ranks as the fourth closest in series history. It was Suarez’s only victory this season and just the second of his Cup career, and the Trackhouse Racing star will be looking for a repeat on Sunday.

Here is all the information you need to get ready for the Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart:

What time does the NASCAR playoff race at Atlanta start?

The Quaker State 400 starts at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia.

What TV channel is the NASCAR playoff race at Atlanta on?

USA Network is broadcasting the Quaker State 400 and has a pre-race show beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET.

Will there be a live stream of the NASCAR playoff race at Atlanta?

The Quaker State 400 can be live streamed on the NBC Sports website and the NBC Sports app. The race is also available to stream on Fubo.

How many laps is the NASCAR playoff race at Atlanta?

The Quaker State 400 is 260 laps around the 1.54-mile track for a total of 400.4 miles. The race will feature three segments (laps per stage) – Stage 1: 60 laps; Stage 2: 100 laps; Stage 3: 100 laps.

Who won the most recent NASCAR Cup races at Atlanta?

Daniel Suarez led nine laps before outdueling Ryan Blaney and Kyle Busch in a photo finish to take the checkered flag on Feb. 25, 2024.

And in last year’s Quaker State 400, William Byron led the final 19 laps before the race was halted due to rain after 185 laps on July 9, 2023.

What are the driver standings heading into the NASCAR playoff race at Atlanta?

Driver	Team	Points
1. Kyle Larson	Hendrick Motorsports	2040
2. Christopher Bell	Joe Gibbs Racing	2032
3. Tyler Reddick	23XI Racing	2028
4. William Bryon	Hendrick Motorsports	2022
5. Ryan Blaney	Team Penske	2018
6. Denny Hamlin	Joe Gibbs Racing	2015
7. Chase Elliott	Hendrick Motorsports	2014
8. Brad Keselowski	RFK Racing	2008
9. Joey Logano	Team Penske	2007
10. Austin Cindric	Team Penske	2007
11. Daniel Suarez	Trackhouse Racing	2006
12. Alex Bowman	Hendrick Motorsports	2005
13. Chase Briscoe	Stewart-Haas Racing	2005
14. Harrison Burton	Wood Brothers Racing	2005
15. Ty Gibbs	Joe Gibbs Racing	2004
16. Martin Truex Jr.	Joe Gibbs Racing	2004

What is the lineup for the Quaker State 400 at Atlanta?

Car number in parentheses; (P)=playoff driver

1. (34) Michael McDowell, Ford

2. (12) Ryan Blaney (P), Ford

3. (38) Todd Gilliland, Ford

4. (4) Josh Berry, Ford

5. (2) Austin Cindric (P), Ford

6. (5) Kyle Larson (P), Chevrolet

7. (22) Joey Logano (P), Ford

8. (3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet

9. (24) William Byron (P), Chevrolet

10. (14) Chase Briscoe (P), Ford

11. (48) Alex Bowman (P), Chevrolet

12. (21) Harrison Burton (P), Ford

13. (10) Noah Gragson, Ford

14. (31) Daniel Hemric, Chevrolet

15. (8) Kyle Busch, Chevrolet

16. (9) Chase Elliott (P), Chevrolet

17. (17) Chris Buescher, Ford

18. (1) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet

19. (6) Brad Keselowski (P), Ford

20. (54) Ty Gibbs (P), Toyota

21. (41) Ryan Preece, Ford

22. (19) Martin Truex Jr. (P), Toyota

23. (45) Tyler Reddick (P), Toyota

24. (23) Bubba Wallace, Toyota

25. (7) Corey LaJoie, Chevrolet

26. (20) Christopher Bell (P), Toyota

27. (47) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet

28. (16) Shane Van Gisbergen, Chevrolet

29. (51) Justin Haley, Ford

30. (99) Daniel Suarez (P), Chevrolet

31. (15) Cody Ware, Ford

32. (77) Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet

33. (43) Erik Jones, Toyota

34. (71) Zane Smith, Chevrolet

35. (42) John Hunter Nemechek, Toyota

36. (78) BJ McLeod, Chevrolet

37. (44) JJ Yeley, Chevrolet

38. (11) Denny Hamlin (P), Toyota

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