A man with an assault rifle and other weapons exchanged gunfire with officers Tuesday at an Atlanta-area elementary school before surrendering, a police chief said, with dramatic overhead television footage capturing the young students racing out of the building, being escorted by teachers and police to safety. No one was injured. 
 
 Just a week into the new school year, more than 800 students in pre-kindergarten to fifth grade were evacuated from Ronald E. McNair Discovery Learning Academy in Decatur, a few miles east of Atlanta. They sat outside along a fence in a field for a time until school buses came to take them to their waiting parents and other relatives at a nearby Wal-Mart. 
 
 When the first bus arrived about three hours after the shooting, cheers erupted in the store parking lot from relieved relatives, several of them sobbing. 
 
 The suspect, identified later as 20-year-old Michael Brandon Hill, fired at least a half-dozen shots from the rifle from inside McNair at officers who were swarming the campus outside, the chief said. Officers returned fire when the man was alone and they had a clear shot, DeKalb County Police Chief Cedric L. Alexander said at a news conference. Hill surrendered shortly after and several weapons were found, though it wasn't clear how many, Alexander said. 
 
 Police had no motive. 
 
 Though the school has a system where visitors must be buzzed in by staff, the gunman may have slipped inside behind someone authorized to be there, Alexander said. The suspect, who had no clear ties to the school, never got past the front office, where he held one or two employees captive for a time, the chief said. Hill is charged with aggravated assault on a police officer, terroristic threats and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. 
 
 A woman in the office called WSB-TV to say the gunman asked her to contact the Atlanta station and police. WSB said during the call, shots were heard in the background. Assignment editor Lacey Lecroy said she spoke with the woman who said she was alone with the man and his gun was visible. 
 
 "It didn't take long to know that this woman was serious," Lecroy said. "Shots were one of the last things I heard. I was so worried for her." 
 
 School clerk Antoinette Tuff in an interview on ABC's "World News with Diane Sawyer" said she worked to convince the gunman to put down his weapons and ammunition. 
 
 "He told me he was sorry for what he was doing. He was willing to die," Tuff told ABC. 
 
 She told him her life story, about how her marriage fell apart after 33 years and the "roller coaster" of opening her own business. 
 
 "I told him, `OK, we all have situations in our lives," she said. "It was going to be OK. If I could recover, he could, too." 
 
 Then Tuff said she asked the suspect to put his weapons down, empty his pockets and backpack on the floor. 
 
 "I told the police he was giving himself up. I just talked him through it," she said. 
 
 DeKalb County Schools Superintendent Michael Thurmond praised faculty and authorities who got the young students to safety, staying calm and following plans in place. All teachers and students made it out of the school unharmed. 
 
 "It's a blessed day, all of our children are safe," Thurmond said at the news conference. "This was a highly professional response on the ground by DeKalb County employees assisted by law enforcement." 
 
 Complicating the rescue, bomb-sniffing dogs alerted officers to something in the suspect's trunk and investigators believe the man may have been carrying explosives, Alexander said. Officials cut a hole in a fence to make sure students running from the building could get even farther away to a nearby street, he said. SWAT teams then went from classroom to classroom to make sure people were out. 
 
 Police had strung yellow tape up blocking intersections near the school while children waited to be taken to Wal-Mart where hundreds of people were anticipating their arrival. The crowd waved from behind yellow police tape as buses packed with children started pulling up along the road at the store. The smiling children waved back. 
 
 The school has about 870 children enrolled. The academy is named after McNair, an astronaut who died when the space shuttle Challenger exploded on Jan. 28, 1986, according to the school's website. 
 
 Jonessia White, the mother of a kindergartner, said the school's doors are normally locked. 
 
 "I took (my son) to school this morning and had to be buzzed in," she said. "So I'm wondering how the guy got in the door." 
 
 ___ 
 
 Associated Press writers Christina A. Cassidy and Phillip Lucas in Atlanta contributed to this report. ||||| Story highlights Suspect was arrested in March on suspicion of "terrorist threats and acts" 
 
 Police say Michael Brandon Hill, 20, faces aggravated assault charges 
 
 Witness to CNN affiliate WSB: Shooter said "he was not afraid to die" 
 
 Shooter was armed with an AK-47 "and a number of other weapons," police say 
 
 A man who opened fire at a Georgia elementary school Tuesday was armed with an AK-47 "and a number of other weapons," police said. 
 
 The shooter barricaded himself in the school's front office with employees before eventually surrendering to police, DeKalb County Police Chief Cedric Alexander told reporters. 
 
 No one was injured, authorities said. 
 
 Suspected shooter Michael Brandon Hill, 20, faces charges including aggravated assault on a police officer, terroristic threats and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, police spokeswoman Mekka Parish said. 
 
 The shooter fired about six shots from inside the school toward officers as they approached outside, Alexander said, and police returned fire. 
 
 Michael Brandon Hill is charged with aggravated assault on a police officer, terroristic threats and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, police said. 
 
 Police said it is unclear whether the suspect had any connection with the school, the Ronald E. McNair Discovery Learning Academy, which is about seven miles east of downtown Atlanta. Investigators think the gunman entered the school behind someone, Alexander said. 
 
 As the standoff unfolded, a caller told CNN affiliate WSB's assignment desk that she was in the school office with a gunman. 
 
 The man had a message he wanted the woman to share with the local television station, assignment editor Lacey LeCroy said, describing the conversation during WSB's newscast Tuesday evening. 
 
 "She said he told her to tell me he was not afraid to die," LeCroy said. 
 
 The gunman also threatened to harm police, the woman said, according to LeCroy. 
 
 Later, LeCroy heard gunshots crack over the television station's phone line. The woman in the school office wasn't sure who had fired, LeCroy said. 
 
 JUST WATCHED Police: Gunman carried AK-47 into school Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Police: Gunman carried AK-47 into school 03:11 
 
 Photos: Photos: Shots fired at Georgia school Photos: Photos: Shots fired at Georgia school Shots fired at Georgia school – A policeman walks in front of Ronald E. McNair Discovery Learning Academy after a shooting incident in Decatur, Georgia, on Tuesday, August 20. Michael Brandon Hill, 20, opened fire at the school armed with an AK-47 "and a number of other weapons," police said. There were no reports of injuries. Hide Caption 1 of 8 Photos: Photos: Shots fired at Georgia school Shots fired at Georgia school – A police officer interacts with students as they board school buses to take them to reunite with their parents. Hide Caption 2 of 8 Photos: Photos: Shots fired at Georgia school Shots fired at Georgia school – A child peers out the window of a school bus as the children are returned to their parents at a nearby shopping center Tuesday afternoon. Hide Caption 3 of 8 Photos: Photos: Shots fired at Georgia school Shots fired at Georgia school – Dekalb County Police SWAT officers run though the front yard of a home toward the elementary school on Tuesday. Hide Caption 4 of 8 Photos: Photos: Shots fired at Georgia school Shots fired at Georgia school – A police officer stands at the scene after the shooting. The school is located about seven miles east of downtown Atlanta. Hide Caption 5 of 8 Photos: Photos: Shots fired at Georgia school Shots fired at Georgia school – Nicole Webb gets emotional while waiting for her 9-year-old son. Hide Caption 6 of 8 Photos: Photos: Shots fired at Georgia school Shots fired at Georgia school – Parents cheer as buses arrive with students on board. Hide Caption 7 of 8 Photos: Photos: Shots fired at Georgia school Shots fired at Georgia school – Five-year-old Skyler Worthey, center, is reunited with his family. "Everybody's safe," said DeKalb County Schools Superintendent Michael Thurmond. Hide Caption 8 of 8 
 
 JUST WATCHED Suspected school shooter in custody Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Suspected school shooter in custody 01:00 
 
 Investigators initially suspected there could be explosives in a vehicle the shooter parked outside the school, but police found no explosives inside, Parish said. 
 
 Teachers and administrators guided students out to a lawn outside the school's gym, where they remained while investigators combed the school to ensure there was no other threat. Concerns about explosives forced SWAT teams to cut a hole in a fence by the school and evacuate students through the yard of a neighboring home, Alexander said. On a nearby street, school buses waited to take them to safety. 
 
 "This was a very unusual situation where we had to get the kids away from any possible explosives," Alexander said. 
 
 This was the second arrest in six months for Hill, of DeKalb County. In March, he was arrested in neighboring Henry County on suspicion of "terrorist threats and acts," according to a record in the county sheriff's office. He was released on bail five days later. Information on what led to that arrest or whether the case is resolved wasn't immediately available. 
 
 Students were reunited with their parents at a nearby shopping center Tuesday afternoon. The children smiled and waved, and parents cheered, as each school bus arrived with students aboard. 
 
 "Everybody's safe," DeKalb County Schools Superintendent Michael Thurmond said. 
 
 "This thing came out for the best," said Dale Holmes, DeKalb County's assistant police chief. "Thank God no one was hurt -- not even the suspect." ||||| Just One More Thing... 
 
 We have sent you a verification email. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your profile. 
 
 If you do not receive the verification message within a few minutes of signing up, please check your Spam or Junk folder. 
 
 Close ||||| Michael Brandon Hill, may have slipped in behind an employee at Ronald E. McNair Discovery Learning Academy before confronting office staff about 1 p.m., officials said. 
 
 Police detained a gunman who they say walked into a DeKalb County elementary school on Tuesday armed with multiple guns. 
 
 The suspect, who has been identified as Michael Brandon Hill, may have slipped in behind an employee at Ronald E. McNair Discovery Learning Academy before confronting office staff about 1 p.m., officials said. 
 
 Channel 2 Action News broke the story on Twitter minutes later. 
 
 UPDATE: DeKalb School chairman says shots fired at McNair Elementary, gunman may still be in school. #wsbtvhttp://t.co/chQsM3AAI9 — WSB-TV (@wsbtv) August 20, 2013 
 
 DeKalb County Police Chief Cedric Alexander said the 20-year-old suspect fired on officers as they arrived and officers returned fire. 
 
 “When we received the call and we engaged, he started to fire from inside the school at our officers. He had one or two of the staff members inside the main office. He was holding them captive,” Alexander said. 
 
 Channel 2 investigative reporter Mark Winne confirmed that the suspect was peacefully apprehended by DeKalb County sheriff's deputies and U.S. Marshals inside the school “without incident, without resistance.” 
 
 Winne spoke to the arresting deputies. 
 
 “When I arrived at the scene I saw the male subject standing outside, shooting a couple of rounds off,” one of deputies said. 
 
 No injuries were reported. 
 
 News Chopper 2 showed video of children running from the school and huddling near a fence in a field behind the building. 
 
 Alexander said that officers feared the man had explosives in the car or the building. Alexander also said the alleged gunman had multiple guns, including an AK-47. 
 
 Alexander told Channel 2’s Ryan Young firefighters cut a hole in a nearby residence so children could evacuate the school grounds through the back of that home. 
 
 “We could not bring the children around to the front of the school because we didn’t know if explosives were in the vehicle,” Alexander said. “Now, this deviates from our typical plan, but this was a very unusual situation, where we had to get the kids away from any possible explosives.” 
 
 Investigators said Hill will be charged with aggravated assault on a police officer, terroristic threats and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon 
 
 Students gathered behind school #McNairShooting. No injuries. Live updates now on Ch2 pic.twitter.com/jWhVruySqn — WSB-TV (@wsbtv) August 20, 2013 
 
 One of the women held captive in the school office called Channel 2 Action News to report that there was a shooter in the school. She told a Channel 2 assignment desk editor that the gunman asked her to call WSB-TV and police. 
 
 "All the time of doing this I never experienced anything like this," LeCroy said. "It didn't take long to know that this was serious." 
 
 The McNair elementary office worker told LeCroy that the gunman wanted Channel 2 Action News to "start filming as police die." 
 
 The gunman then told the woman that he wanted "police to back up." Shots could be heard over the call. 
 
 Eventually the woman told LeCroy "they got him." 
 
 Parents were asked to go to the Walmart near Gresham Road and Interstate 20 to get their children. Hundreds of McNair elementary school parents flooded the parking lot to be reunited with the students, who were bused from the school. Parents were required to have a photo ID to pick up their child. 
 
 "When I first heard about the incident I had to rush to leave work, about an hour away to the school to see if everything is all right. When I got here they'd caught the guy and that's a good thing. Man I just heard all the kids are fine. Just good to have your little one back with you," parent Antonio Johnson said. 
 
 News Chopper 2 flying over buses being loaded to take #McNair students to their parents: pic.twitter.com/viWtthdgQE — WSB-TV (@wsbtv) August 20, 2013 
 
 Parents at Walmart spoke to Channel 2's Lori Geary about their fears for their childrens' safety. 
 
 “My daughter called me on the telephone while I was at home and she said ‘Mom, are you listening to the news? There’s something going on at Nadia’s school. And so, she was on her way to Walmart and I came behind her,” Anna, the grandmother told Geary. 
 
 Nadia’s mother, Kimberly, said she now fears sending her little girl to school. 
 
 “It makes me want to home school my daughter,” Kimberly said. 
 
 Channel 2’s Erica Byfield spoke to woman who lives down the street from the school. 
 
 The neighbor, who did not want to give her name, said she was in her kitchen when her dog started barking frantically. After hearing about five shots, she was compelled to run outside and check her surroundings, knowing a school was nearby. 
 
 “At first, I heard some little small shots. Then, I heard ‘bang, bang, bang!’ Then, I heard, ‘doom, doom, doom shots, so I knew something was wrong,” she told Byfield. 
 
 The neighbor said she hopes the gunman pays for what he’s done. 
 
 “I hope they get him and prosecute him for what he’s done, because these are innocent kids,” she said. 
 
 Students will have school on Wednesday, but classes will be held at McNair High School. The students will maintain the same bus schedule. 
 
 Channel 2 Action News crews remain at the scene. Check back with WSBTV.com for updates and watch continuing coverage on Channel 2 Action News.
– Welcome news after reports of shots fired today at a Georgia elementary school: “Shooter apprehended; all kids safe and accounted for,” the interim superintendent tells the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Police say a 20-year-old suspect is in custody. "He started to fire from inside the school at our officers," said DeKalb County Police Chief William O'Brien, per CNN. He said the gunman, who had an AK-47 and other weapons, barricaded himself in the school's front office before surrendering. He apparently got into the building by following someone who had authorization, reports AP. Before the arrest, a female worker in the office had called WSB-TV to report the incident and said the gunman himself had ordered her to do so. The gunman left the office briefly when police arrived, apparently to go outside and fire at officers, then returned to the office before eventually surrendering. Police have offered no clues as to a possible motive. TV footage showed students fleeing the Ronald E. McNair Discovery Learning Academy in DeKalb County, while others later evacuated the building in an orderly fashion. They all were being reunited with their parents at a local shopping plaza.