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A 14-year-old boy fired shots at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, resulting in the deaths of two students and two teachers, with nine others injured.
A 14-year-old boy fired shots at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, resulting in the deaths of two students and two teachers, with nine others injured. This event is the first mass shooting at a US school since the beginning of the academic year.
The suspect, Colt Gray, 14, who was previously questioned by law enforcement last year over online threats about a potential school shooting, was apprehended shortly after the incident.
According to Chris Hosey, director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Gray will be charged and tried as an adult. Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith reported that the shooter, armed with a semiautomatic rifle, was quickly confronted by school deputies and surrendered immediately.
After his arrest, the suspect, Colt Gray, spoke with investigators, who believe he acted alone but did not disclose his motives. The victims were identified as 14-year-old students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo and teachers Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Christina Irimie, 53.
Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith reported that all nine hospitalized are expected to recover and described the incident as “pure evil.” The FBI later revealed it had investigated online threats of a school shooting in 2023, involving a 13-year-old and his father in nearby Jackson County.
Although the FBI did not name the teen, Georgia officials confirmed it was related to the current suspect. According to the FBI, the father reported having hunting guns, but the teen did not have unsupervised access to them and denied making the threats.
Jackson County schools were advised to monitor the situation, but there was no probable cause for an arrest, as reported by Reuters. The shooting has reignited the national debate on gun control and triggered widespread grief, highlighting the recurring nature of such incidents in the country.
The White House stated that President Joe Biden has been briefed on the shooting and that his administration will continue to coordinate with federal, state, and local officials as more information becomes available.
