COBB COUNTY, Ga. — Editor's note: This story has been updated to remove the name of the man police were searching for in connection with this crime. Jail records show he's now in custody. We are now omitting the name due to 11Alive's guidelines for reporting on people accused of crimes. We've provided additional context of our policy online here.
One of the victims of a shooting that left two people injured in a parking lot at McEachern High School is now a suspect in the case.
The news was first announced at a Cobb County School District town hall meeting about school safety at the Patricia C. Vaughn Cultural Arts Center in Powder Springs on Thursday night.
During the town hall, Cobb County Police Chief Stuart VanHoozer said that a 20-year-old suspect was shot during the incident but is now facing charges. VanHoozer said that he was released from the hospital before police identified him as a suspect, and law enforcement obtained an arrest warrant for him last night. The search for him is active, and he is charged with possession of a firearm in a school zone and loitering on school property, police said.
This is the third suspect in the case.
Last Friday, police announced they arrested a 17-year-old in Union City who faces charges including two counts of aggravated assault and possession of a firearm on school property.
Law enforcement said the teenager was a witness to the altercation and alleged that he pulled out a pistol and shot two people. The second arrest was announced earlier this week, in which the suspect is a juvenile who, police said, also opened fire but did not wound anyone. Both are students at the high school, according to police.
The incident occurred just before 2 p.m. in the school parking lot along New MacLand Road in Powder Springs.
Chief Stuart VanHoozer previously said that the two gunshot victims were not students at the high school. One person was shot in the arm and another person was shot in the leg, authorities said. Now, one of the two is among the suspects.