Two students and two teachers were killed in a shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, early Wednesday morning, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said.

Richard Aspinwall and Christina Irimie were the two teachers killed in the incident, officials said at a news conference Wednesday evening. They also identified the 14-year-old students as Mason Shermerhorn and Christian Angelo.

As reported earlier in the day, nine more people (eight students and one teacher) were hospitalized with injuries resulting from the shooting.

The suspect — 14-year-old Colt Gray, a student at Apalachee High School — was located by officers within minutes, and he immediately surrendered and was arrested, the GBI said. He will be charged with murder and will be tried as an adult, the GBI said.

Authorities say it is unclear whether any of the victims were targeted.

Students and parents speak out

Seventeen-year-old senior Sergio Caldera said he was in chemistry class when he heard the gunshots.

“My teacher goes and opens the door to see what’s going on. Another teacher runs in and tells her to close the door because there’s an active shooter,” Caldera told ABC News.

He said his teacher closed the door and the students ran to the back of the room. Caldera said they heard screams from outside as they “huddled together.”

MORE | ‘I Was So Scared’: Students Recount Georgia High School Shooting

At one point, Caldera said someone was banging on his classroom door and yelling “open up!” multiple times. When the knocking stopped, Caldera said he heard more gunshots and screams.

He added that his class later evacuated to the football field.

Kyson Stancion said he was in class when he heard the shots and “heard police yelling at someone, ‘There’s a shooting going on, please come downstairs and go back to class.'”

“I was scared because I had never witnessed a school shooting,” he told ABC News.

“Everyone was crying. My teacher was trying to keep everyone safe,” he added.

Father Jonathan Mills said he experienced an “emotional rollercoaster” as he and his wife rushed to the school to meet their son Jayden.

Mills told ABC News it was “exciting” and “overwhelming” when he was able to contact Jayden, a third-year student, and learn he was OK.

Mills, the police officer, said: “Growing up in this neighborhood, you don’t expect things like this to happen.”

“I have three kids. All three go to this cluster of schools, and you never think about it,” he said.

Winder is approximately 45 miles from Atlanta.

Barrow County schools will remain closed through the end of the week, the superintendent said.

Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith called the shooting “pure evil.”

Among the victims, Northeast Georgia Health System said three people were taken to hospitals with non-life-threatening gunshot wounds. Five people with symptoms related to anxiety and panic attacks were also taken to hospitals, it said.

Leaders respond

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were notified of the shooting, according to the White House.

“Jill and I mourn the lives of those whose lives were cut short by yet another senseless act of gun violence, and our thoughts are with all the survivors whose lives have been changed forever,” Biden said in a statement. “Students across the country are being taught to duck and cover instead of read and write. We cannot continue to accept this as normal.”

The president highlighted his work to combat gun violence, including signing the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act and creating the first White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. But he said more needs to be done.

“After decades of inaction, Republicans in Congress must finally say enough is enough and work with Democrats to pass common-sense gun safety legislation,” Biden said. “We must once again ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, require secure storage of firearms, implement universal background checks, and end immunity for gun manufacturers. These measures will not bring back those tragically lost today, but they will help prevent further tragic gun violence from tearing families apart.”

Harris said at a campaign event in New Hampshire: “Our hearts go out to all the students, teachers and their families.”

“This is just a senseless tragedy on top of many senseless tragedies,” she said. “We must end this epidemic of gun violence.”

“This is one of the many issues at stake in this election,” Harris said.

“Let’s finally pass an assault weapons ban, universal background checks and red flag laws,” she said. “It’s a false choice if you say you’re either for the Second Amendment or you want to take away everyone’s guns. I’m for the Second Amendment and I know we need sensible gun safety laws in this country.”

Attorney General Merrick Garland said, “I am heartbroken for the families affected by this terrible tragedy. The Department of Justice stands ready to provide any resources or support.”

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp added that he was “heartbroken.”

“This is the day every parent dreads, and Georgians everywhere will be hugging their children tighter tonight because of this heartbreaking event,” he said in a statement. “We continue to work closely with local, state and federal partners to make available every resource that will help this community through this incredibly difficult day and in the days ahead.”

Kemp canceled a scheduled speech Wednesday night before a Republican Jewish Coalition event in Las Vegas to return to Georgia following the shooting, a source confirmed to ABC News.

In Atlanta, authorities will “increase patrols” around schools on Wednesday “out of an abundance of caution,” Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said in a statement.

“My prayers are with the high school students, staff and families affected by this senseless act of violence,” Dickens said.

As of September 4, 2024, there have been 385 reported mass shootings, including the most recent one in Georgia, according to ABC News.

This is the 16th mass shooting in Georgia this year.

During the same period last year, 485 mass shootings were reported.

The Gun Violence Archive defines a mass shooting as one in which four or more people (not including the perpetrator) are injured or killed. There were 656 mass shootings in 2023, 646 in 2022, 689 in 2021, and 610 in 2020.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Josh Margolin, Brandon Baur, Faith Abubey and Miles Cohen of ABC News contributed to this report.