Atlanta Middle School Shooter Was Disarmed By Armed Campus Police Officer, Victim Is 'Awake'

The suspect is reportedly a student at the Price Middle School, located south of downtown Atlanta, though his identity will not be released due to his status as a juvenile. He was taken into custody after shooting a fellow student in the neck around 2 p.m. EST and then being disarmed.

The suspect reportedly used a small-caliber handgun, which was recovered at the scene of the crime.

Officials believe this was a targeted shooting, not an intended random massacre, according to CBS News. It is unknown if the suspect had any other intended targets.

The victim did not lose consciousness and was reported “awake and breathing” while en route to Grady Memorial Hospital in downtown Atlanta. His injuries are not considered life-threatening, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that he may be released from the hospital as early as Thursday night.

A second victim, a teacher, was treated at the scene for minor injuries sustained “while running” after the gunshots went off. The teacher was not taken to a hospital.

Price Middle School has metal detectors installed at its entrances, but the incident occurred outside of the building’s walls. School officials are unsure if the suspect was required to go through metal detectors before the shooting.

Administrators at the school began calling parents around 3 p.m. EST, roughly an hour after the shooting occurred and the shooter was disarmed. The school went on lockdown immediately after the shooting, though the campus was later deemed safe, and parents were allowed to pick up their children by 5 p.m.

“We did not want to alert parents that the building was safe and secure until we could determine it was safe and secure, and that takes time,” Atlanta Public Schools Superintendent Errol Davis told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.