An elementary school in Georgia was evacuated after shots were reportedly fired at the school, and police have a suspect in custody, according to local media reports.

There were no casualties immediately reported at the Ronald E. McNair Discovery Learning Academy in DeKalb, Ga.

After news of the shots broke, helicopter TV footage showed a large crowd of students gathered behind the school, some gathering at buses. The scene looked calm as students and adults milled about on school property.

Police were reportedly sweeping the school as officials conducted a head count of students to ensure all were safe and accounted for. Parents were instructed that they could pick up their children at a rendezvous point at a local Walmart. [Updated at 11:07 a.m. PDT Aug. 20: A school spokesman says all students have been accounted for.]


DeKalb County schoolboard chairman Melvin Johnson told local media that there had been reports of shots fired.

Television footage shows students had been evacuated from the school and were sitting outside in a field. Buses are being brought in to take children away from the school.

DeKalb County School Board Chairman Melvin Johnson told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution there were reports of shots being fired inside the building that houses students from preschool to fifth grade.

A call to DeKalb County police was not immediately returned.

WSB-TV tweeted that its assignment-desk editor “says she could hear gunshots while on the phone with someone in McNair Elementary School office.”


Ronald E. McNair Discovery Learning Academy, a charter school, is located on 2nd Avenue in Decatur. #McNairshooting— AJC (@ajc) August 20, 2013

#Breaking: Students evac’d to safe area; report of man armed w/ gun at Ronald E. McNair ES in Decatur. Live on FOX 5 pic.twitter.com/iQbsRl00MD— FOX 5 Atlanta (@FOX5Atlanta) August 20, 2013

News Chopper 2 footage shows students running from the school building. Turn on Ch2 for updates. Gunman has not been located. #wsbtv— WSB-TV (@wsbtv) August 20, 2013

#wsbtv assignment desk editor says she could hear gunshots while on the phone with someone in McNair Elementary School office.— WSB-TV (@wsbtv) August 20, 2013


Update: Parents can pick up their children from Ronald E McNair ES at the WalMart at Gresham Rd Live on @FOX5Atlanta pic.twitter.com/1TUqpQlntD— FOX 5 Atlanta (@FOX5Atlanta) August 20, 2013

Update: Reports indicate the man in custody was armed, but did not want to hurt anyone. He wanted to speak to police. pic.twitter.com/DAHzfYecqI— FOX 5 Atlanta (@FOX5Atlanta) August 20, 2013

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