Officials said an Atlanta-area teacher shot himself—but luckily, there were no students around.
Douglas County Sheriff’s Sgt. Jesse Hambrick said that none of students had been shot, and no other injuries were reported.
The teacher, who was not named, took the gun into Lithia Springs High School at around 7:15 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 17, The Associated Press reported, citing Hambrick.
The teacher was described as an 18-year employee at the school. He was taken from the school to a hospital via helicopter.
“He was able to make contact with another teacher who called 911 on his behalf to get medical attention to him,” Hambrick told WGCL-TV. “When he left here on LifeFlight, he was still alive.”
Officials don’t believe any students saw the shooting.
Police said that it’s unclear if it was an accident or a suicide attempt.
Douglas County’s Superintendent Trent North told local news outlets that parents were told to pick up their children.
“From the moment this incident occurred, we went into safety mode. That’s not a simple process,” said North. “This is a difficult time for us because the teacher is a part of our family. His wife and his child, they are part of our family.”
Classes were then canceled.
“All these kids, I bet, are scared to death,” resident Betty Murray told CBS 46. “My grandson called me and said, ‘Granny, there’s been a shooting, and the principal said to come after me.’”
Lithia Springs has a population of about 15,000, and is located in Douglas County, west of Atlanta.
