A Cobb County student is in critical condition after she suffered an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound at Lindley Middle School on Wednesday afternoon, officials said.
“This afternoon, a student at Lindley Middle School tragically used a firearm to commit self-harm, prompting a code red,” the Cobb County School District said in a statement. “School administrators, along with a Cobb County School District police officer, responded immediately and secured the weapon.”
School officials said the code red was lifted once police confirmed there was no threat to other students.
“We can confirm that the victim is a juvenile,” police said. “Out of respect for their family and the ongoing investigation, we are unable to share further details about their condition or confirm any other specifics.”
Credit: Ben Hendren
Credit: Ben Hendren
The Mableton school was placed on lockdown, but authorities quickly organized for parents to pick up their students at Leland Memorial United Methodist Church, located just across Veterans Memorial Highway. By 5:30 p.m., all of the school’s students had been picked up by parents or sent home by bus.
Cobb school district police spokesman Sgt. John McCraw said school officers and Cobb police both responded after getting the code red alert, and the first units were on the scene within 60 to 90 seconds. They searched the school and found a female student injured in the bathroom.
The girl was first taken to Wellstar Cobb Hospital, but McCraw said she was later flown to a Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta hospital and described her condition as “completely critical.”
Investigators do not know how she got the gun into the school and would not say what kind of weapon was used. The investigation will be led by Cobb police due to the nature of the girl’s injuries, McCraw said.
Lindley Middle enrolled 905 students at the start of the school year, according to the Georgia Department of Education’s fall count. Officials said counseling services would be made available to students and staff.
The incident comes less than five months after a shooting at a Barrow County high school left four people dead.
On Sept. 4, an Apalachee High School student allegedly opened fire inside the school, killing two teachers and two classmates, according to investigators. Several others were also injured. It was the deadliest school shooting in Georgia’s history.
The 14-year-old has been charged with several counts of murder in that case. His father has also been charged with second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter after allegedly providing his son with the weapon used.
Last week, another 14-year-old student was arrested and charged with possessing a gun at Apalachee. Under pressure from community members to act, the Barrow County Board of Education voted to install metal detectors at the district’s three high schools.
Metal detectors remain rare in U.S. schools: Fewer than 10% of schools screen students daily with metal detectors, according to the most recent federal data. They can be expensive and often require multiple staff members to operate effectively.
Cobb is the second-largest school system in the state and spends approximately $35 million per year on safety.
The district uses Evolv weapons detectors, which use artificial intelligence to identify potential threats, at large-scale events like football games and concerts, Atlanta News First reported in September. However, McCraw said the district does not have weapons detectors at the middle school level.
Superintendent Chris Ragsdale said in October that metal detectors are not effective in schools, reiterating points made in federal reports on school safety.
“The operation of metal detectors in a school environment just does not produce the results that you would think that they would,” he said, adding that the district uses other types of security technology.
The district equips employees with Centegix crisis badges that can quickly alert officials to emergencies. It also announced plans in October to contract with a company that would evaluate security at Cobb schools and planned to analyze students’ data and online activity to identify safety risks before they arise.
The safety measures taken by the Cobb school district likely meet the approval of a majority of Georgians, according to a recent poll of 1,000 registered voters conducted by the AJC. The findings, released Wednesday, showed that 58% of Georgia voters say they want lawmakers to spend more money on school resource officers and metal detectors. Many Georgians want to go even further, as 55% think stricter gun laws are needed to reduce mass shootings.
In the wake of Wednesday’s shooting incident, county and school officials urged parents to check in with their children.
County Chairwoman Lisa Cupid encouraged parents to “prioritize the emotional well-being of our children, who often carry burdens that may not always be apparent.”
“We also encourage families to take this time to check in with their children and discuss their thoughts and feelings,” Lindley officials said in a note to parents. “Open communication at home, along with the resources we provide at school, can make a significant difference in helping students navigate challenging emotions.”
Resources can be found at findhelp.cobbcounty.gov or through the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling 988.
Anyone with connections to Lindley Middle School is asked to report concerns to the school district’s tip line.
― Staff writers Alexis Stevens and Cassidy Alexander and freelance photographer Ben Hendren contributed to this article. Please return to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for updates.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution limits reporting on suicide because of concerns that attention can increase the likelihood of suicide in vulnerable individuals. We are reporting limited information in this case because the shooting took place in a school and prompted an emergency alert to be issued.
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