Shots fired at Georgia elementary school, suspect in custody

[Skidmore]

This week has been the first week of school for some districts in the nation and next week will be so for others. Help us all if we need to go through a year ahead full of this kind of event. Thank goodness all are safe.

http://rt.com/usa/shooting-elementary-georgia-kids-749/

Shots have been fired at an elementary school in DeKalb County, Georgia, according to US media. Children and staff have been evacuated from the building.

Police have suspect in custody, the superintendent of McNair Elementary School in Decatur, Georiga, told AP.

Earlier, DeKalb County school board chairman Melvin Johnson said there were reports of shots fired.

TV footage from local outlets showed that children had been safely evacuated from Ronald E. McNair Discovery Learning Academy and were sitting outside in a field.

[TwilightGardener]

1. What a relief. Hug your guns a little bit tighter tonight, tell them you love them.

[seabeyond]

2. it will be interesting to hear the story on this. the time line.

with the kids escorted outside, all in a group, up against the fence does not seem good to me. seems like leaving them huddle for slaughter and easy picking. i am NOT an expert on these plans. so i am clueless on the smart of this. just seeing the picture though didnt comfort me.

[theHandpuppet]

4. Yeah, I had the same thought

Lining kids up in shooting gallery-style doesn't seem like a good idea to me.

[Ilsa]

6. That grassy area is further away from the school, in the back,

with a parking lot between them. Other children are in the parking lot, lined up between what few buses were still on campus. The school has a fence around it, and police are everywhere. The gunman was on the opposite side of the school in the front office.

Honestly, I don't think there is another place to take the children without putting them at greater risk. The teachers have to also account for each child, so they are trying to keep their classes organized so they can bus them to another location.

[seabeyond]

8. thank you ilsa. purely going off the picture, that is the feel. but, as i said, i know nothing.

the information you give shed a whole different light, which is what i expected. i have pretty good faith in teh smarts of teachers, administration and police in a crisis like this. appreciate the explanation.

[Skidmore]

9. I heard on MSNBC that the children were being moved by bus to a Walmart

nearby where parents could report to pick them up.

[Ilsa]

12. That's a huge thing to organize, spur-of-the-moment.

The school will be responsible for making certain that only designated parents, guardians, etc, pick up their kids. Having it do it for 870 kids in a parking lot will be a nightmare for the schools. I'm sure the teachers are doing their best to keep them organized by class. The difficulty is that the teachers are still learning who the kids and parents are this early in the school year.

[Skidmore]

13. Our local news here did an item a couple of days ago on the drills the districts' schools

had their teachers go through to handle just such an event. My grandchildren attend a school in Illinois which had similar drills. I wonder if this school district in Georgia does this too.

[Ilsa]

15. I'm sure most districts require drills, but I doubt they've had time

to do a practice drill this year. Any new employees will be depending on others to help train them on-the-spot.

I think most teachers have practiced this in their minds over the last year, though.

[sarisataka]

10. I do some school security consulting

there are two basic responses to a shooter.

-the well-known hide in the classroom and make it appear empty
-get everyone out to a relatively safe location. This requires a place at least somewhat shielded from view of the school. So far there are few incidents of shooters leaving a building once they are inside so this is deemed a reasonable action.

Depending on the specifics, the layout of the school and grounds and the training of the staff either action may be taken in a shooting situation.

[seabeyond]

11. thanks for this information. i do like to be informed.

So far there are few incidents of shooters leaving a building once they are inside so this is deemed a reasonable action.

i was curious about this

[Little Star]

3. Glad to hear this. Thanks!

[RebelOne]

5. I was watching WSBTV since it first started.

The gunman has been apprehended. Was a white male in his 20s with an AK47. News is still ongoing.

[Ilsa]

7. The real task will be making certain

That young children are not picked up by someone other than their designated parent this early in a school year. This will take a couple of hours, at least.

[Go Vols]

14. Live coverage here

link at top center of page

http://www.11alive.com/