ATLANTA, Ga. — Authorities have identified the woman killed in a shooting outside Palmetto Elementary School Tuesday as 34-year-old Eboni Anderson, according to the Fulton County Medical Examiner.
The incident prompted a hard lockdown at the school, though no students or staff were harmed. Students were later relocated to Bear Creek Middle School while authorities investigated.
Officials say Anderson was not a staff member at the school but is a parent of a Fulton County Schools student, whose child does not attend Palmetto Elementary. First responders captured a body at the scene covered with a tarp.
A suspect, identified by authorities as Christopher Loris Ates, was arrested following a vehicle chase that ended in a crash in Houston County. Ates is suspected of shooting Anderson to death. Fulton County Schools Police said the suspect was initially arrested on unrelated charges, but additional warrants related to the shooting are being finalized so he can face criminal charges in Fulton County.
In a letter to parents and guardians, Principal Jacqueline Bowens said the shooting stemmed from a domestic dispute that spilled over onto school grounds. Counseling and additional support staff will be available at Palmetto Elementary to help students and staff cope with the traumatic event.
Students and parents described the frightening scene. Jordan Taylor, a fourth grader, said, “I thought we wouldn’t make it, but we did,” after being reunited with his family. His aunt, Nyonna Taylor, added, “I was excited that nothing happened to the kids. They said the kids were crying in the classroom. And I was crying too. I didn’t know what was going on. All I thought was the worst.”
A large law enforcement presence was visible near the school, with yellow police tape surrounding the front entrance. Fulton County Schools Police is leading the ongoing investigation.
