Atlanta school opens wellness center 1 year after shooting on campus

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Benjamin E. Mays High School (FOX 5 Atlanta)

ATLANTA - A southeast Atlanta high school is cutting the ribbon on a new wellness center focused on student mental health.

The event is happening exactly one year after a shooting outside of Benjamin E. Mays High School injured four students.

The backstory:

The shooting happened in the parking lot after school had been dismissed on Feb. 14, 2024.

According to investigators, a fight broke out around 4 p.m. that escalated into a shooting. Four students, only identified as three 17-year-olds and one 18-year-old, all male, were rushed to an area hospital. All of them survived their injuries.

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Benjamin E. Mays High Schools students and parents were on edge a day after four students were shot in the parking lot just after dismissal. The latest on the investigation and the efforts officials are making to secure the campus.

Two weeks later, a 14-year-old Benjamin E. Mays High School student turned himself in to the Atlanta Police Department. He was charged with four counts of aggravated assault, one count of possession of a firearm by a minor, and one count of possession of a firearm on school grounds.

The name of the arrested student has not been released.

What we know:

Following the shooting, Principal Dr. Ramon Garner says the school listened to students and that the new wellness center is a product of those conversations.

An unused classroom has been converted to "The Well," a safe space for students to decompress, talk about their feelings, and work on emotional wellness.

The center features relaxing furniture and reading nooks as well as listening stations that have soothing music.

The Well was created with a $10,000 grant from the Home Depot and gifts and donations from other community organizations and individual supports. No school funds were used to creat The Well.

What they're saying:

"We are hosting the grand opening of the Mays Wellness Center in commemoration of the school shooting that occurred last Valentine's Day," Garner said. "We listened to our students and what they told us they needed. The wellness center offers dedicated spaces designed to support students and staff, helping them thrive."

What's next:

The grand opening of The Well will be at 9:30 a.m. on Friday. The center will then be open for students for years to come.