Four students were shot Wednesday afternoon at Benjamin E. Mays High School in southwest Atlanta after a fight broke out in the school’s parking lot, according to police.
The school shooting happened at about 4 p.m. shortly after students were dismissed for the day. The four students who were shot sustained injuries that were not life threatening. They were taken to Grady Memorial Hospital and were in stable condition on Wednesday evening, according to officials.
“I’m shocked and heartbroken,” said Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens at a Wednesday night press conference at the school.
Dickens graduated from Benjamin E. Mays High School and said he felt sorry for the students who were wounded and for those who witnessed the shooting.
“These are bright, young people. These are kids that have a bright future,” Dickens said. “A couple of bad actors have just disrupted this day, but they’re not going to disrupt their dreams.”
Officers with the Atlanta Public Schools Police Department responded to the fight and were on the scene when shots were fired from an unknown vehicle, said APS Police Chief Ronald Applin at the press conference.
The school police officers immediately called for back up. Officers with the Atlanta Police Department and Atlanta Fire Rescue responded to the scene. Based on information from APS officers, Atlanta Police stopped a vehicle on Baker Road shortly after the shooting.
Atlanta Police detained the three people in the vehicle — a 35-year-old woman, her 17-year-old daughter and another male, age unknown. They were taken to APD headquarters to be interviewed and were cooperating with the investigation, said APD Major Ralph Woolfolk at the press conference.
Woolfolk said it was too early to determine a motive for the shooting. He declined to comment on whether there was any kind of relationship between the people detained and the students who were shot.
APD officers interviewed approximately 100 students who were at the scene of the shooting at the school’s cafeteria late into Wednesday night.
Applin said there would be heavy APS and APD presence at the school on Thursday to make sure students and faculty “feel a lot more comfortable.”
Shortly after the shooting, messages were sent to the families of students attending Benjamin E. Mays High School. A statement from Principal Ramon Garner was also posted to the school’s website.
The full statement from Garner:
Good Evening Benjamin E. Mays Community,
I come to you this evening to share information regarding an incident that occurred at our school’s lower campus parking lot this afternoon. Shortly after dismissal, shots were fired from an unknown vehicle, striking four students. Atlanta Public Schools Police Department and Atlanta Fire Rescue immediately responded to the situation, and all victims were transported to the hospital and confirmed to have non-life-threatening injuries. No other students, faculty, or staff were injured. This matter continues to be under investigation.
All after-school activities have been canceled. The safety and security of our students and staff are paramount. We will keep you updated as we obtain new information.
Thank you for your continued support and trust.