16-year-old arrested for firing shot near Booker T. Washington High School

Teen accused of firing shots at officers

A 16-year-old is in custody and expected to face multiple charges after police say he pulled a gun on officers Wednesday evening. Investigators were at the Texaco on Joseph E. Lowery Boulevard in southwest Atlanta when the confrontation occurred. No one was hit.

ATLANTA - Atlanta police say a 16-year-old suspect has been arrested after gunfire erupted near Booker T. Washington High School Wednesday evening, prompting lockdowns across multiple campuses and a large SWAT response.

Shot fired at Atlanta police officer

What we know:

According to police, the incident began around 6:10 p.m. when officers approached several suspicious individuals outside a Texaco gas station on Joseph E. Lowery Boulevard. During the encounter, a male displayed a gun and fired one round toward officers before running into a nearby unoccupied property.

Police say no officers or civilians were injured and no officers fired their weapons.

Shooting, standoff near Booker T. High School

A SWAT situation is developing near Booker T. High School on Wednesday evening. The scene spans from Joseph E. Lowery Boulevard near Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway to the high school and includes Morris Brown College and surrounding neighborhoods.

A perimeter was quickly established stretching from the Texaco to Morris Brown College, surrounding neighborhoods, and Booker T. Washington High School — where a scheduled homecoming coronation event was underway. Parents rushed to the scene as students were held inside on lockdown.

Multiple specialized units responded, including SWAT, K-9, homicide and drone teams. After securing the area, SWAT officers entered the home and took the teen into custody without incident. Police say multiple charges are pending as the investigation continues.

Officers secure the parking lot of a Texaco gas station during an active police investigation along Joseph E. Lowery Boulevard in Atlanta on Oct. 22, 2025. (FOX 5)

Booker T. Washington High School locked down

What they're saying:

Parents rushed to Booker T. Washington High School on Wednesday night after hearing the campus was placed on lockdown during a scheduled coronation event.

One mother said she was on the phone with her son, a student at the school, when he told her the school was on lockdown. She said she immediately left her car and began walking toward the building, concerned but trying to reach him directly.

"I thought maybe somebody got killed because they got the streets blocked," she said, adding that her son was reportedly at band practice when it happened.

Another parent said her daughter had been inside for a program ceremony.

"Of course I am," she said when asked if she was worried. "As a mother, you worry about your children. You know school is a lot going on nowadays."

Both parents said their children were eventually confirmed safe, though neither school officials nor police had immediately explained what prompted the lockdown.

"This usually be a quiet road and I mean I understand that things happen in the neighborhood," one resident said. "It started down not even on this street. It just, you know, came this direction. But, you know, just do better."

16-year-old arrested for incident near Booker T. Washington High School

Atlanta police say a 16-year-old suspect has been arrested after gunfire erupted near Booker T. Washington High School Wednesday evening, prompting lockdowns across multiple campuses and a large SWAT response.

Another witness said officers went door to door.

"The cops were blocking off all the streets and then they knocked on our doorbell to like see if we had heard or seen anything."

"We have a school right around the corner and we have a lot of children in this community and just do better," one woman said.

"We need stricter gun laws in America. But yeah, there's no reason or right to just shoot someone randomly," another added.

What we don't know:

The identity of the juvenile arrested is unlikely to be released because of his age. 

What's next:

Police continue to investigate what led to the shooting and whether anyone else may have been involved.