Earlier this afternoon, a shooting occurred in the parking lot of a Department of Human Services office in Bartow County. 

Following the shooting, the office remained on lockdown for nearly an hour as law enforcement sought the suspect. That lockdown has since ended. 

While we are still gathering information about the incident, we are grateful to report that no agency staff were injured or involved in the shooting. 

We are proud of our staff, who acted appropriately and utilized their training for the response to active shooter events. It is due to their quick thinking in securing the lobby and moving customers and staff to the interior of the building that no others were harmed. 

In the coming days, we will deploy counselors from our Employee Assistance Program to help our staff deal with the trauma of witnessing an act of violence such as this, and we will remain committed to providing training and resources that keep our employees and customers safe. 

For additional details on the shooting, please contact Cartersville Police.