A 14-year-old student opened fire at Apalachee High School in Barrow County, Georgia, killing two students and two teachers and injuring nine others. The suspect, Colt Gray, was taken into custody and is facing murder charges.
A 14-year-old student opened fire at Apalachee High School in Barrow County, Georgia, on Wednesday morning, killing four people and injuring nine others. The suspect, Colt Gray, was taken into custody and is facing murder charges.
The victims killed were two students, Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14, and two teachers, Richard Aspinwall and Christina Irmie. Gray, a student at the school, used an "AR-platform style weapon" in the attack, according to Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) Director Chris Hosey.
Georgia School Shooting Leaves Four Dead, Nine Injured
Law enforcement responded to reports of an active shooter at approximately 10:20 a.m., about two hours after classes had begun. Two school resource officers were on the scene and apprehended Gray within minutes of arriving.
Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith praised the teachers at Apalachee High School for their quick actions and use of a Centegix ID system, which alerts law enforcement of an active incident. "The protocols at this school and this system activated today prevented this from being a much larger tragedy," Hosey said.
Georgia School Shooting Leaves Four Dead, Nine Injured
Gray is being held at a detention center and will be transported to Regional Youth Detention Centers (RYDC) in Dalton. He will be charged with murder and prosecuted as an adult, according to Hosey.
"When someone preys on kids, it's tragic," Smith said. "Pure evil did what happened today."
Georgia School Shooting Leaves Four Dead, Nine Injured
Surviving victims have been taken to local hospitals to be treated for various degrees of injury. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities are looking into prior contact between Gray and his family and the Department of Family and Children Services.
The shooting has sent shockwaves through the community and has reignited the debate over school safety. Barrow County Public Schools Superintendent Chris McMichael expressed his condolences to the victims' families and praised the first responders. "Our district is heartbroken by this senseless act of violence," McMichael said.
Georgia School Shooting Leaves Four Dead, Nine Injured
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp also issued a statement, saying, "I am heartbroken for the victims and their families. We must continue to stand with our law enforcement officers and educators as they work to protect our students and communities."
The FBI's Atlanta field office and Jackson County Sheriff's Office revealed that they received an anonymous tip in 2023 about online threats regarding a possible school shooting. The subject referred to in the statement was a 13-year-old who "is the same subject in custody related to today's shootings at Apalachee High School," the FBI said.
Law enforcement is investigating the prior contact between Gray and his family and the Department of Family and Children Services, as well as where Gray obtained the weapon used in the shooting.
The tragedy in Georgia has once again highlighted the urgent need for comprehensive measures to prevent school shootings and protect the safety of students and educators.
