On Wednesday, September 4, 2024, a 14-year-old student opened fire at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, killing four people and injuring nine others. The suspect, identified as Colt Gray, was immediately taken into custody and is expected to be charged with murder and tried as an adult.
Lyela Sayarath, a junior at Apalachee High School, provided a chilling account of the events leading up to the shooting. Sayarath told CNN that she had been sitting next to Gray in their Algebra I class when he left the room. She recounted, “When we heard it, most people just dropped to the floor and kind of crawled in an area, like, piled on top of each other.”
According to Sayarath, Gray later attempted to re-enter the locked classroom. Another student who approached the door “saw that he had a gun, so she backed away,” Sayarath added. Gray then “turned to the classroom that would have been to my right, and he just starts to shoot, and you hear about 10-15 rounds back-to-back.”
The victims have been identified as two 14-year-old students, Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, and two teachers, Richard Aspinwall and Cristina Irimie. Nine other individuals, including eight students and one teacher, were injured in the attack but are expected to recover.
The weapon used in the shooting was identified as an AR-style rifle. Investigators are working to determine how Gray obtained the firearm and brought it into the school. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) confirmed that Gray was booked into the Gainesville Regional Youth Detention Center.
In a startling development, Gray’s father, Colin Gray, was arrested and charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder, and eight counts of cruelty to children. Authorities allege that Colin Gray allowed his son to possess the weapon used in the shooting, despite being aware of potential threats.
The shooting has brought to light previous concerns about the suspect. The FBI had received tips about online threats made by Colt Gray to commit a school shooting in 2023. However, authorities found no probable cause for arrest at the time. Colin Gray reportedly told investigators he had purchased the gun used in the shooting as a holiday gift for his son in December 2023.
Documents referencing past school shootings were found in Colt Gray’s bedroom, which could provide insight into his motive. The suspect’s family had a history of domestic issues, including eviction and arrests.
The shooting has devastated the Winder community. Residents have described it as their local version of 9/11. A memorial service was held in Winder, and Georgia Governor Brian Kemp ordered flags to be lowered to half-staff in honor of the victims.
Authorities have praised the school’s new panic alarm system for helping to save lives by quickly alerting law enforcement. Several teachers pressed the alert buttons during the incident, and the shooter was apprehended at 10:26 a.m., shortly after the initial shots were reported.
The Apalachee High School shooting marks the 30th mass killing in the United States so far in 2024, underscoring the ongoing challenges law enforcement faces in determining when concerning behavior crosses into criminal activity. It is also the deadliest school shooting in Georgia’s history.
Georgia law does not prohibit minors from possessing rifles or shotguns, and the state has few restrictions on gun ownership for adults. Unlike some other states, Georgia does not have a “red flag” law that would allow authorities to temporarily remove guns from someone deemed a risk.
The investigation into the Apalachee High School shooting is ongoing, with authorities continuing to gather evidence and piece together the events leading up to this tragic incident.
