Metro Atlanta school districts issue precautions following Apalachee High School shooting

Cars are packed near Apalachee High School in Barrow County, Georgia, after a deadly shooting there.
Cars are packed near Apalachee High School in Barrow County, Georgia, after a deadly shooting there. Parents crowded the school to pick up their students after the suspect was in custody. (Chamian Cruz/WABE)

As Barrow County Schools remain closed for the rest of the week following a mass shooting at Apalachee High School on Wednesday, neighboring school districts are taking precautions and offering condolences.

A 14-year-old student at the school shot and killed four people, and nine people were transported to hospitals, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. The suspect has been charged with four counts of felony murder in connection with the shooting and will be tried as an adult. The GBI said Wednesday night that investigators are assessing whether any active threats exist at other schools.

In Gwinnett County, which borders Barrow, Superintendent Calvin J. Watts said in a Thursday release that Gwinnett County Public Schools has increased its police presence around its campuses.