Atlanta Falcons host Apalachee High School football team at practice one week after school shooting

The Winder, Georgia school where four people were killed is just 20 miles away from the Falcons' training facility

By Steven Taranto Sep 13, 2024 at 3:45 pm ET• 1 min read

The Apalachee High School football team attended Atlanta Falcons practice on Friday as the local NFL team hosted student-athletes from Winder, Georgia a little more than one week after a school shooting devastated the community. The shooting last Wednesday killed two 14-year old students and two teachers, including Richard Aspinwall, an assistant coach on the Apalachee football team.

The Falcons honored victims of the shooting with Apalachee High School T-Shirts in pre-game warmups and a moment of silence before their Week 1 opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and on Friday welcomed the school's football team and head coach Mike Hancock as they prepared for their Week 2 matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Apalachee High School football team is attending Atlanta Falcons practice today. pic.twitter.com/5Gz1Wpxr4N

— Josh Kendall (@JoshTheAthletic) September 13, 2024

Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris talking with Apalachee head coach Mike Hancock before the game. pic.twitter.com/XYgQZKkCVR

— Josh Kendall (@JoshTheAthletic) September 13, 2024

For the Falcons, the school shooting hit fairly close to home: Apalachee High School is just 20 miles away from the team's training facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, and 45 miles from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in downtown Atlanta.