ATLANTA — Four students are hurt after an apparent drive-by shooting at Benjamin E. Mays High School on Valentine's Day, according to Atlanta Public Schools. Police said Wednesday night they have detained three people for questioning.
Officials said it happened shortly after dismissal, around 4 p.m. Wednesday, when an unknown vehicle began firing shots in the high school's lower campus parking lot.
"Atlanta Public Schools Police Department and Atlanta Fire Rescue immediately responded to the situation, and all victims were transported to the hospital and confirmed to have non-life-threatening injuries," the school district said. "No other students, faculty, or staff were injured. This matter continues to be under investigation."
Police said three 17-year-old boys and one 18-year-old man were injured by gunfire.
On Wednesday night, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, Atlanta Public Schools Police Chief Ronald Applin and Atlanta Police Maj. Ralph Woolfolk spoke to the media about the shooting.
Woolfolk said that after the shooting happened, they were able to track down a car not far from the high school and detain three people inside the vehicle for questioning. A 35-year-old woman, a 17-year-old girl and another male were detained by Atlanta Police. Woolfolk said the 35-year-old is the mother to the 17-year-old.
Dickens said they were in the process of interviewing students at the school to try and figure out what happened. Woolfolk said they have interviewed about 100 students, and as of 8:25 p.m., still had about 20 more students to interview.
"I'm shocked and heartbroken," Dickens said when asked how he felt about the shooting at his alma mater, adding, "I feel sorry for the young people that have been impacted by this."
Dickens later said, "We want to make sure this school doesn't have a black eye on it because of this issue."
Both Applin and Woolfolk said they do not know the students' relation to the shooters and do not know a motive for the shooting at this time.
All after-school activities have been canceled as a safety precaution.
"The safety and security of our students and staff are paramount," the school district added.
11Alive SkyTracker flew over the scene around 4:30 p.m., where a large police presence was seen and crime scene tape had sectioned off a portion of the parking lot.
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This is the second shooting that's happened outside of the high school since last year.
In the early morning hours of May 28, 2023, Bre'Asia Powell was shot and killed while enjoying a night out with her friends. She was at an unauthorized gathering outside of the school. A 16-year-old boy was also hurt in the shooting-- he survived.
Authorities have made three arrests in connection with Powell's shooting death.
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