A devastating shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, on Wednesday, left four people dead and nine others injured, according to CBS News. The suspect, 14-year-old student Colt Gray, is in custody and is expected to be charged with murder, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI). The victims have been identified as students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14 and educators Richard Aspinwall and Christina Irimie. Authorities have not yet established any connection between Gray and the victims, and the motive remains under investigation.
During a press conference, GBI Director Chris Hosey confirmed the details, stating that Gray is being held at the Gainesville Regional Youth Detention Center. “He will be charged with murder and handled as an adult,” Hosey said, adding that the investigation is still active and ongoing. Gray is set to appear for a virtual hearing on Friday evening.
The nine individuals injured in the shooting were hospitalized, and officials say they are expected to survive. Authorities are continuing to piece together the events of the tragic day.
In a chilling revelation, the FBI’s Atlanta office acknowledged that Gray had been investigated in 2023 following anonymous tips about potential threats of a school shooting. The tips had been submitted by users of the social media platform Discord, alerting authorities to a possible danger. However, during the 2023 investigation, Gray denied making any online threats, and his father assured law enforcement that Gray did not have unsupervised access to the family’s firearms. The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, which handled the case at the time, did not take further action.
Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith, visibly emotional, addressed the media, saying, “I never imagined that I would be speaking to the media in my career over something that happened today — pure evil that happened today. I want to make it very clear that hate will not prevail in this county.” Smith also confirmed that his office is in contact with Gray’s family but declined to provide further details about their conversations or the status of the weapon used in the shooting.
In response to the tragedy, the school district has closed all Barrow County schools for the remainder of the week. Crisis counseling is being offered to students affected by the shooting. The investigation continues as authorities work to uncover more details.