part 2 of 2

"Additional officers from the Gadsden Police Department responded to the scene to provide assistance. The subject was injured by gunfire and was pronounced deceased," ALEA said.

Special agents with the State Bureau of Investigation will turn the finding of their investigation over to the district attorney's office.

The public became aware quickly that something was going on. Gadsden-Etowah County Emergency Management Agency advised people in Facebook posts about 10 a.m. to avoid the area because of an "ongoing police incident." The Etowah County Sheriff's Office sent out an alert at 10:03 a.m. and it was shared by the Walnut Park Community Watch program.

All children at the school were reported safe. In addition to the literacy camp students, about 22 children in a Parks and Recreation summer camp were also on the campus. School students were taken by bus to Gadsden City High School. Reddick estimated they were reunited with parents in about 20 minutes' time.

"The students didn't have a clue," Reddick said, about the incident. They were in another part of the building, and Principal Alison Correll kept curious staff members away from the area where the incident occurred. He said one teacher might have witnessed some of the confrontation.

Reddick said the school system contacted a parent of each child in the literacy camp. He said the system will be looking at what to do to continue the camp.

For the time being, it won't be at Walnut Park, he said, to allow law enforcement to freely investigate.

The school had prepared physically for such incidents, with door locks, cameras and staff training about keeping unauthorized people out, Reddick said. The staffs and students are trained in how to respond. He said these students had been safety training already this week.

"They were actually excited about exercising what they had learned," the superintendent said.

Horton said the staff and law enforcement officers responded perfectly to the situation. Still, as good as the response was, he said it will be studied to see if there are ways it could have been better.