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Four men are in jail after the Dougherty County School Police arrested them in connection with a shooting that happened right outside of Monroe Comprehensive High School.

The incident happened Friday afternoon when faculty, staff, and students on the campus say they heard the gunshot.

Assistant Chief J.C. Phillips with Dougherty County’s School Police says young men in a white Ford Crown Victoria approached students and started an argument.

“They got surrounded or should I say outnumbered. So to try and fend them off, they fired the round,” says Dougherty County School Police Unit Assistant Police Chief J. C. Phillips.

After firing the shot, the group of young men fled.

Officials say since the incident happened in broad daylight there were more than enough leads on whom the suspects were and police followed their trail to 1300 A Colquitt Avenue.

“It was actually the Albany Police Department that found where the car was and our department got over there and took custody of the car as well as the four people inside of the house,” J. C. Phillips.

Lentavius Morgan, 19, Desmond Muff, 21, Akeem Hines, 21, and William Davis, 19, were all taken in for questioning and eventually charged with aggravated assault, possession of a firearm within a school zone, and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.

Authorities say the gun and car belonged to Morgan. They aren't sure what the argument entailed but they have a inkling of where the issue stemmed from.

“We're certain that it's gang related,” says Asst. Chief Phillips.

And it's the “Southside Bloods” street gang that he's naming in connection to the incident.

City officials say the issue is a growing problem within the area.

“The police department has identified anywhere from 10 to 15 active gangs in the city of Albany and Dougherty County,” says Albany Ward 1 Commissioner John Howard.

It’s something he and the gang task force are working to clean up.

“We're trying to take a proactive stand, trying to reach those young men and women who may have a desire to be in gangs and let them know that it's a dead end solution,” says Howard.

Phillips says even at a young age, all but one of the suspects have an extensive criminal history.