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The gunman that opened fire at a Georgia high school, killing four people, has been identified as a 14-year-old student at the school.
Colt Gray, surrendered to authorities on Wednesday and was taken into custody. He will be charged with murder and tried as an adult, according to police.
Two students and two teachers were killed Apalachee High School, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Nine others were hospitalized, having been shot “in some capacity.”
The deceased are students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14, and teachers Richard Aspinwall and Christina Irimie, according to GBI.
The gunman allegedly used an AR-style rifle.
In May 2023, the FBI probed online threats to commit a school shooting that could be traced back to Gray, prompting local police to interview him and his father, who disclosed having hunting guns in the house. No arrests were made at the time.
Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith described the incident on Wednesday as “evil” but vowed that “hate will not prevail in this county.”
Kamala Harris described the shooting as “a senseless tragedy on top of so many senseless tragedies” as she addressed supporters in New Hampshire on Wednesday.
Watch: Harris says Georgia shooting ‘another senseless tragedy’
Gen-Z advocacy group says younger generation is ‘paying the price’ for weak gun laws
Voters of Tomorrow, a Gen Z-led organization that engages young Americans in politics and government, issued the a statement following the shooting at Apalachee High School in Barrow County, Georgia.
“This is what going back to school looks like in America, but it doesn’t have to. Georgia has among the weakest gun laws in the country, and Gen Z is paying the price,” the statement read.
“Allowing school shootings and gun violence to continue is a choice — and our elected officials have an obligation to choose to protect us.
“As we mourn today’s deaths and hope for the recovery of those who were injured, we will continue to demand stronger gun violence prevention laws. We cannot afford to let another school year pass without action.”
Student says gunman tried to get into classroom but was denied by classmate
Lyela Sayarath, a junior at Apalachee High School, told CNN she was sitting next to suspected gunman Colt Gray moments before the shooting occurred Wednesday.
She told the outlet said Colt left the classroom at the beginning of their Algebra 1 class around 9:45 am, and returned later but the door was locked. A fellow student went to open the door but jumped back.
Gray then left the door and gunfire was heard, Sayarath told CNN.
“I guess he saw we weren’t going to let him in. And I guess the classroom next to me, their door was open so I think he just started shooting in the classroom,” she said.
“When we heard [gunshots], most people just dropped to the floor and like kind of crawled in an area like piled on top of each other,” she said. “The teacher turned off the lights, but we all just kind of piled together. And like I pushed desks in front of us.”
Apalachee High School received phone call threat prior to shooting
CNN reports that Apalachee High School received a phone call threat, prior to the school shooting on Wednesday – citing a law enforcement source.
Law enforcement officials in Georgia told the outlet that the school received a phone call this morning warning that there would be shootings at five schools and that Apalachee would be the first.
It is not known who placed the call and officials are investigating the call and where it originated.
Injured expected to recover after Georgia shooting
Those injured in the mass shooting at Apalachee High School are expected to make a full recovery, according to local officials.
“All of our victims that are at the hospital are going to make it and they’re going to recover well,” Barrow County, Georgia Sheriff Jud Smith said during a press conference on Wednesday evening. “We don’t expect any more fatalities at this time.”
Photos: the two teachers killed in Georgia school shooting
Two teachers were killed in today’s mass shooting at Apalachee High School in Georgia: Richard Aspinwall and Christina Irimie.
Here are there photos, obtained by Atlanta News First.
GBI names four killed in Apalachee shooting
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday announced the identities of the four people killed in the mass shooting at Apalachee High School earlier in the day.
The deceased are as follows: students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14, and teachers Christina Irimie and Richard Aspinwall.
What we know about suspected 14-year-old shooter Colt Gray?
The shooter who killed four people at Apalachee High School in Georgia on Wednesday has been identified by authorities as 14-year-old Colt Gray.
Andrea Cavallier looks at everything we know about the teenager:
GBI IDs victims and discloses weapon used in Georgia shooting
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation provided a few new key pieces of information about today’s shooting at Apalachee High School.
The GBI named the four victims killed in the attack, including student MasonSchermerhorn, 14, and Richard Aspinwall, an assistant football coach and teacher.
The agency named two other victims, a 14-year-old student and another teacher, but did not provide official spellings of their names, so we are refraining from naming them for the time being to avoid confusion.
Officials also said the shooter used an AR-style rifle during the shooting.
WATCH: Georgia officials provide update on shooting
State and local officials are offering an update Wednesday evening on the latest about today’s school shooting in Georgia.
Watch here via the Georgia Bureau of Investigation YouTube channel.
Source: independent.co.uk
