A 14-year-old ninth grader was taken into custody after fleeing Warner Robins High School, where one student suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
WARNER ROBINS, GA — A fight between two students inside a restroom at Warner Robins High School ended in gunfire Wednesday, leaving one student wounded and prompting a large police response before a 14-year-old suspect was taken into custody, authorities said.
Houston County Sheriff Matt Moulton said a group of students was inside a school bathroom when a verbal dispute between two ninth graders became physical. One student was shot at about 2:15 p.m. on Aug. 12, and the suspected shooter fled the school. Authorities said the injured student was taken to a hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening.
A school resource deputy reached the wounded student within seconds and applied tourniquets while waiting for emergency medical personnel, Moulton said. The response came as the school entered a lockdown and law enforcement officers converged on the campus. School officials later dismissed students in a controlled process while officers remained at the scene.
Authorities initially received reports suggesting that two students had been taken to a hospital, but the Houston County Sheriff’s Office later clarified that only one student was injured. Officials had not publicly released the injured student’s age or additional details about the injuries as the investigation continued.
School security video helped investigators obtain a description of the suspect, according to officials. About an hour after the shooting, officers located the 14-year-old roughly a half-mile from campus in a neighborhood near the school. Moulton said the teenager was taken into custody without further incident. Authorities had not publicly identified either student.
The shooting brought dozens of law enforcement officers to Warner Robins High School, which is about 20 miles south of Macon. The incident occurred early in the academic year after Houston County students returned to classes Aug. 4. The school serves more than 1,600 students, according to information cited by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Moulton said the district and law enforcement response followed procedures that agencies regularly practice for threats at schools. He said the quick response limited the incident to one injured student. Authorities had not publicly explained how the firearm was brought onto campus, and it was not immediately clear whether the school had metal detectors.
Students and parents described a tense period during the lockdown as families waited for information and students contacted relatives from classrooms. The district said the school went into a Code Red lockdown before students were eventually released through a controlled dismissal. By about 3:30 p.m., authorities announced that the suspect had been taken into custody.
Houston County Schools Superintendent Richard Rogers said Warner Robins High School would remain closed to students Thursday and Friday. Staff were also off campus Thursday, with Friday designated as a staff-only day. The district planned to have crisis support available for employees Friday and for students when they returned Monday.
The investigation remained active, and authorities had not publicly announced criminal charges or a possible motive as of the latest reports. Officials also had not released further information about what preceded the verbal dispute. Rogers said the district’s immediate focus would be helping the school community recover from the shooting.
Author note: Last updated August 14, 2026.