Georgia middle school student critically injured in self-inflicted shooting

A student is in critical condition after a self-inflicted gunshot wound at a Georgia middle school, according to officials. The incident prompted a school lockdown.

Officers responded to the Lindley Middle School in Mableton on Wednesday following reports of a shooting, said Cobb County Public Information Officer S.A. Barner. Police found one victim, and the school was placed on lockdown.

“This afternoon, a student at Lindley Middle School tragically used a firearm to commit self-harm, prompting a Code Red,” the school district said in a statement. “School administrators, along with a Cobb County School District police officer, responded immediately and secured the weapon.”

The lockdown was lifted after police confirmed there was no specific threat to other students. “The student is in critical condition, surrounded by their family and loved ones, and our thoughts are with them,” the statement added. According to WAGA, the student has been airlifted to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta for treatment.

“My initial thought is that a self-inflicted gunshot just indicates something else going on emotionally with the student, and that just kind of emphasizes why we need to be focusing on mental health with our students,” Cobb Board of Education Chair David Chastain told the Marietta Daily Journal. “Parents need to hold their kids close.”