Agencies
Washington
At least four people have been killed in a shooting at a school in the US state of Georgia, local investigators said on Wednesday.
Two students and two teachers were killed in the shooting at Apalachee High School in the town of Winder, Chris Hosey, director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said at a press conference.
Nine people were injured and had been brought to hospital, he said. One suspect, a 14-year-old student of the school, had been arrested, Hosey said.
"What is more important for me to mention here to you is my heartfelt sympathy to the parents, the students that were here,” he said.
US President Joe Biden and his wife Jill said they were "mourning the deaths of those whose lives were cut short due to more senseless gun violence.”
"What should have been a joyous back-to-school season in Winder, Georgia, has now turned into another horrific reminder of how gun violence continues to tear our communities apart,” they said in a statement.
"Students across the country are learning how to duck and cover instead of how to read and write. We cannot continue to accept this as normal.”
Another administration official, Attorney General Merrick Garland, began his news conference about election security by acknowledging the events in Winder.
"I’m devastated for the families who have been affected by this terrible tragedy,” Garland said as he began the news conference. "The Justice Department stands ready to provide any resources or support that the Winder community needs in the days ahead.”
Several callers alerted the emergency services on Wednesday morning to report an active shooter, according to the authorities.
Gun violence and school shootings are a common occurrence in the US where firearms are more easily available than in many other countries.