By Rebecca Gaunt

Several elected officials and community leaders have issued statements following Wednesday’s incident in which a student at Lindley Middle School in Mableton used a firearm on campus to inflict self-injury.

The student is reportedly in critical condition, according to a statement from the Cobb County School District. 

The school was placed on a Code Red lockdown until police confirmed there was no threat to other students.

Cobb County Chairwoman Lisa Cupid’s statement read in part, “My heart goes out to the student, their family, and the entire Lindley Middle School community…I also encourage everyone to prioritize the emotional well-being of our children, who often carry burdens that may or may not be apparent.”

That statement included a link to findhelp.cobbcounty.gov and the phone number for the National Suicide and Crisis Hotline, 988.

Cobb school board member Becky Sayler, whose post includes Lindley, wrote on her Facebook page, “In light of the devastatingly sad event at Lindley Middle today, I want to share some resources.”

In addition to 988, she posted a link to resources listed on the district website School Counseling – Emergency Crisis Information.

Mableton Mayor Michael Owens posted a statement that read, “The City of Mableton and I are deeply sadden[ed] to hear of the shooting incident that occurred today at Lindley Middle School. With respect to the student and their family, we offer our prayers and hopes for a full recovery. At this time, the city is working with the Cobb County Police Department and Cobb County Board of Education to ensure that this isolated event does not disrupt the element of safety and security we want to provide for our students while learning.”

School board Chair David Chastain told the Marietta Daily Journal, “It’s a very sad situation…My initial thought is that a self-inflicted gun shot just indicates something else going on emotionally with the student and that just kind of emphasizes why we need to be focusing on mental health with our students…based on what I’ve been told, it sounds like it was premeditated, and if not a gun, it could have been done with something else. I don’t want guns in schools, but that’s something they need to gather all the facts.”

Councilwoman Patricia Auch, who represents the post on Mableton City Council that includes Lindley, spoke at Thursday’s school board meeting during public comment.

“I have many concerns related to mental health and how did a gun get on campus and what measures can be taken going forward to prevent similar incidents as happening at Lindley Middle School or any school in Cobb County,” Auch said.

She also read a statement from the mayor announcing that he will hold meetings next week to discuss how the city can strengthen its partnerships with schools and law enforcement to help protect children.

During his remarks, Superintendent Chris Ragsdale said according to his most recent update, the student was still in critical condition.

He said, “Yesterday was a very hard day for our district, especially the family at Lindley Middle School. Certainly our thoughts and prayers are with the family…It is understandably impossible to grasp how a child gets to the point where that type of action is their only acceptable choice. We have made sure crisis counselors are ready to help any student and/or staff member needing assistance through this. We must do everything we can to ensure we identify students who are in need of assistance as we move forward.”

Rebecca Gaunt earned a degree in journalism from the University of Georgia and a master’s degree in education from Oglethorpe University. After teaching elementary school for several years, she returned to writing. She lives in Marietta with her husband, son, two cats, and a dog. In her spare time, she loves to read, binge Netflix and travel.