WARE COUNTY, Ga. – The Ware County Schools superintendent said there was “no evidence that a shooting occurred” on Ware County High School’s campus on Monday.
The Ware County Sheriff’s Office said the school was put on lockdown after reports of a shot fired.
The superintendent said was a staff member who thought she heard gunshots so she activated the alarm system.
Parents were notified of the incident and law enforcement cleared the campus but said no one was hurt and the school was secured.
Officials said one student experienced a medical episode caused by the stress of the situation but received attention from staff.
Here is the full statement by Smith:
Good Afternoon Ware County Schools Families. This is Superintendent Bert Smith with an important update on today’s events. This afternoon, a full lockdown was initiated at Ware County High School following a report of a shot being fired on campus. Law enforcement responded promptly, and after a thorough search, we can confirm that our campus has been cleared, and there is NO EVIDENCE that a shooting occurred. We understand that rumors are circulating, but, again, I want to clarify that there were NO INJURIES OR FATALITIES related to this incident.
At this time, we are still in the process of releasing high school students.
As your superintendent, I’m proud to share that district safety protocols were carried out exactly as planned, with our students and staff following the directions of Dr. Kellogg and his administrative team to the letter. We’re also extremely grateful for the swift response from local law enforcement and appreciate their continued support in keeping our school communities safe.
Families, we deeply appreciate your cooperation and patience as we prioritized the safety of our students and staff. Our school safety protocols are designed to ensure the well-being of everyone involved, and today’s response reflected that commitment. We also ask that you please take this opportunity to talk with your child about school safety and remind them to report any rumors or information about an unsafe situation to a trusted adult.
Knowing that our students and staff may need support in processing their thoughts and feelings, school counselors and mental health support will be available this week. If a student would like to utilize this resource they should let their teacher know. Additional police presence will also be on-site for the remainder of this week as an added safety precaution.
Again, thank you for your continued support of Ware County Schools. As today proved, we are stronger together.
Ware County Schools Superintendent Bert Smith
A woman whose granddaughter is a senior at the school said she realized something was going on when she saw police speeding toward the school.
She said she talked to her on the phone.
“Kids were in a panic, really,” Lynn Ashford said. “A teacher asked them to quiet down and things like that. I just told her, ‘Just stay on the phone, just be quiet.’ It was a very scary experience for parents and kids.”
Ashford said she feared for her granddaughter.
“I was really worried about my granddaughter,” Ashford said. “She’s my oldest granddaughter and she was really scared, I could tell in her voice. She was in a panic.”
Smith said there will be a bigger police presence on campus throughout the week at the school.
“We’ve had a lockdown, we’ve had some stuff before...The state requires an intruder drill before Oct. 1. That’s coming up, so by next Tuesday, we’re supposed to have an intruder drill, but we had that today,” Smith said.
This comes amid a wave of school threats made by students after a deadly shooting at a Georgia high school.
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