Palmetto Elementary School Shooting – Lockdown Today: Active shooter reported in Georgia’s Fulton County; Bear Creek Middle School Safety in Fairburn

Palmetto Elementary School was placed under a hard lockdown Tuesday afternoon as law enforcement conducted a criminal investigation outside the school campus, according to Fulton County Schools officials. District leaders emphasized that all students and staff members are safe and that no students were involved in the incident.

Fulton County Schools spokesperson Brian Noyes confirmed that the investigation occurred on school property but outside the elementary school building itself. As a precautionary measure, the district made the decision to relocate students to Bear Creek Middle School in Fairburn while authorities worked to secure the area.

SkyTracker footage from 11Alive showed a portion of the parking lot at the front of Palmetto Elementary cordoned off with police tape as officers remained on scene. Law enforcement activity was concentrated outside the school, and there were no reports of injuries connected to students or staff.

District officials said the school will remain under a hard lockdown until law enforcement clears the scene and determines there is no ongoing threat. During a hard lockdown, students and staff are required to remain inside secured areas, with no one permitted to enter or exit the building.

In a statement released by the school system, officials said the relocation of students was done “out of an abundance of caution” to ensure student safety. Parents and guardians were informed that additional details, including reunification procedures, would be shared as soon as more information becomes available.

“For safety reasons, parents and community members are asked not to come to the school at this time,” the district said in its statement, urging families to wait for official communication before attempting to pick up students.

Fulton County Schools officials stressed that student safety remains their top priority and said they are working closely with law enforcement throughout the investigation. No further details about the nature of the criminal investigation have been released.

This is a developing situation, and officials say updates will be provided as soon as new information is confirmed.