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Parents: District took hours to notify them 2 students were shot at school

ATLANTA — A local mother says no one told her for three hours about a shooting inside a high school classroom Thursday afternoon.

According to Banneker High School, school police were called just before 3:30 p.m. for reports of a loud pop coming from a classroom.

Once inside the room, officers found a female student was shot in the ankle, and the same bullet grazed another student.

It took Channel 2 Action News several hours to get an explanation from Fulton County Schools as well.

A sign outside Banneker High School clearly says no weapons are allowed on campus, but someone ignored that policy and two students ended up shot.

"I was disturbed. I was very disturbed and distraught," parent Evelyn Fields told Channel 2's Justin Wilfon.


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In a statement from the school district it said police discovered a female student had sustained an injury to her ankle and the same bullet had grazed another student.

Fulton County Schools police were called after a school official heard the pop, rushed to the classroom, and found a small spattering of blood on the floor.

A search of the room turned up what FCS calls a small caliber handgun hidden in a box inside a student’s book bag.

A preliminary investigation by school police indicates the gun was accidentally fired, but so far school officials aren’t saying who fired it.

“My mind was racing, because easily it could have been child or any other child, you know?,” Fields told Wilfon.

Parents said they weren’t told about the shooting until they received this email and a phone call nearly three hours after it happened.

With students prohibited from bringing guns to school, the district said all involved will face charges.

But Fields told Wilfon, that’s not enough.

“They need to tighten up. They need better security. They need metal detectors in these schools. They need to search these kids as they enter the school,” Fields said.

The district said the students are recovering from their injuries. Because of what happened Thursday, the district said any bags of any kind will not be allowed in to the school Friday.

Any bags brought in will be confiscated.