A teenager was killed and another was injured after a shooting outside an Atlanta high school early Sunday morning, police said.
There are no suspects in custody at this time, but police said the incident involved several high school students.
Atlanta Police Department officers responded to a report of multiple people shot at Benjamin E. Mays High School around 2:27 a.m. Two victims, a 16-year-old girl and a 16-year-old boy, were found at the scene. and taken to local hospitals.
The girl was pronounced dead while the boy is in stable condition, according to police.
The victims, who were rising youths, have not been identified. It is unclear if the teens attended Benjamin E. Mays High School.
At a press conference on Sunday afternoon, Mayor Andre Dickens said the deceased victim was «full of life.»
«My heart goes out to both families, and definitely to the family of the deceased,» he said. «This young lady was full of life, and she was actually expected to work for the City of Atlanta starting Tuesday in our summer youth employment program.»
Benjamin E. Mays High School is Dickens’s alma mater.
In a statement, Atlanta Public Schools said the gathering at the end of the high school driveway was unauthorized. There were other children at the school from different districts and counties, according to Dickens.
“I am asking parents across the metro area, I am asking youth across the metro area to consider their safety, to make sure their parents know where they are. And parents, know where your kids are,” Dickens said. «And young people who are looking to gather after midnight and find places to go, we want them to be safe and make quality, conscious decisions about where they’re going.»
Atlanta Public Schools Superintendent Lisa Herring called the shooting, which occurred just days after the close of the school year, «tragic.»
«A crisis team will be on campus next Tuesday to assist those who may need additional support,» Herring said. «Our condolences go out to our families who have been affected.»
The Atlanta Police Department continues to investigate the shooting and is offering a $10,000 reward for information.