Sawt Falasteen - Four killed in US school shooting in Georgia

After the latest chapter of America's gun violence crisis, people gathered at a sports field outside Apalachee High School, some forming a circle with their arms linked.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said four people had been killed. There was no immediate word on a motive.

"An additional nine taken to various hospitals with injuries. Suspect in custody and alive. Reports that the suspect has been 'neutralized' are inaccurate," the bureau said in a social media post.

Earlier, school authorities were reported to have sent a message to parents saying they were enforcing a "hard lockdown after reports of gunfire."

After the all-clear was given, parents were invited to the school to be reunited with their children, with long lines of vehicles visible outside.

The school is located near the town of Winder, about 45 miles (70 kilometers) northeast of Atlanta, the state capital.

US President Joe Biden said he was mourning the dead.

"Students across the country are learning how to duck and cover instead of how to read and write. We cannot continue to accept this as normal," he said, referring to the frequency of such attacks across the country.

School shootings have become a sadly regular occurrence in the United States, where about a third of adults own a firearm and regulations on purchasing even powerful military-style rifles are lax.

Polls show a majority of voters favor stricter controls on the use and purchase of firearms, but the powerful gun ownership lobby is opposed to additional restrictions and lawmakers have repeatedly failed to act.

- Crowds gathered -

US Attorney General Merrick Garland addressed the shooting in a press conference, saying state, federal and local officials were investigating the case.

"I'm devastated for the families who have been affected by this terrible tragedy," the top US Justice Department official said.

Local television footage showed ambulances driving across a school field about two hours after the attack was first reported, and scores of vehicles parked around the school.

A crowd of people was visible on the football field, with some gathered in a circle with their arms linked.

This year, there have been at least 384 mass shootings -- defined as a shooting involving at least four victims, dead or wounded -- across the United States, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

At least 11,557 people have been killed in firearms violence, according to the GVA.

O.Salim--SF-PST