2nd LD Writethru: 4 killed, 9 wounded in Georgia high school shooting

NEW YORK, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- At least four people were killed and nine wounded in a campus shooting at a high school in the U.S. state of Georgia on Wednesday, local authorities said.

The shooting happened at the Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia. One suspect was taken into custody following the gunfire, the Barrow County Sheriff's Office said in a statement, adding that casualties have been reported.

The office told the media that there was an active shooter situation earlier Wednesday morning and multiple law enforcement agencies and emergency responders were dispatched to the school around 10:30 a.m.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) said that four people are dead and nine injured as a result of the shooting. Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith said it would take "multiple days" to determine what happened.

The GBI urged anyone near the area to stay clear while authorities investigate.

The suspected shooter in the deadly violence is a teenager, NBC News reported, citing multiple senior law enforcement officials.

Police are working to determine the teen's name and whether the suspect had a prior affiliation with the school, the officials said.

Apalachee High School was put on a hard lockdown after the shooting.

Eight people, including three with gunshot wounds, were taken to three Georgia hospitals after the shooting, a hospital spokesperson said.

In addition to the patients with gunshot wounds, five people were hospitalized with panic attack symptoms, the spokesperson said.

The deadly school shooting happens about 50 miles northeast of Atlanta, Georgia's biggest city. The shooting has prompted officials to step up patrols around campuses in Atlanta.