Authorities have confirmed that four people were killed and nine others were hospitalized with injuries after a shooting at Apalachee High School in northern Georgia. The victims included two students and two teachers, with the suspect identified as 14-year-old Colt Gray, a student at the school. Gray was taken into custody alive and will be charged with murder as an adult. The victims were identified as Mason Schermerhorn, Christian Angulo, Richard Aspinwall, and Christina Irimie.
All nine hospitalized victims had suffered gunshot wounds of some kind, but were expected to survive, according to Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith. The suspect, who surrendered when confronted by law enforcement officers, was cooperating with authorities in their investigation. The alleged shooter used an AR platform-style gun and acted alone, with no evidence of any other shooters involved.
The FBI Atlanta revealed that authorities had interviewed the suspect the previous year regarding online threats to commit a school shooting. The posts originated from Georgia, prompting an investigation by the local sheriff’s office. However, no probable cause for arrest was found at that time, leading to continued monitoring of the suspect by local schools. The FBI has been supporting local law enforcement in their response to the incident.
Students and faculty were placed on lockdown following reports of an active shooter at the school, leading to a quick response by law enforcement. One student, Marques Coleman, recounted his experience of being in the classroom during the shooting, witnessing his classmates being shot. Coleman expressed gratitude for not being harmed and credited divine intervention for his safety. Classes at Barrow County schools were canceled for the week following the incident.
Governor Brian Kemp directed state resources to assist in responding to the situation at Apalachee High School, urging Georgians to pray for the safety of those affected. President Biden and his administration were briefed on the shooting and were coordinating with authorities to gather more information. The school has approximately 1,900 students enrolled, with classes starting at 8:15 a.m. daily. A closure of Barrow County schools was announced for the remainder of the week in light of the tragedy.
