Georgia Shooting: 2 students, 2 teachers killed in school

Georgia Shooting Two students and two teachers were killed in a mass shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Ga., Wednesday in an incident that became the deadliest of the 45 school shootings so far this year. The latest:

Authorities arrest 14-year-old Georgia shooting suspect: The shooter in custody is Colt Gray, a student of 14 years old Apalachee High School, Chris Hosey said with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation during a news conference.

Hosey and Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith added that authorities will charge him with murder and try him as an adult in criminal court. They expect Gray to be booked into jail on Wednesday evening. Hosey said the timing of Colt’s first court appearance was uncertain, but he would be in court “within a reasonable amount of time.”

Authorities name four victims killed: On Wednesday, Hosey identified the four victims killed in the shooting. The victims include 14-year-old Mason Schermerhorn, 14-year-old Christian Angulo, 39-year-old Richard Aspinwall and 53-year-old Christina Irimie. According to the school’s website, both adults were math teachers and Aspinwall was also an assistant football coach.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation reported that authorities transported nine injured—eight students and one teacher—who are expected to fully recover.

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Details: How the shooting unfolded the first notification about an active shooter came at 10:20 a.m. ET, officials said. Law enforcement arrived swiftly, as did two school resource officers assigned to Apalachee High, Hosey said. The sound of gunfire prompted students and faculty to urgently seek shelter, leading to a lockdown across schools in the county while parents sought updates. Smith stated to the press that a school resource deputy engaged with the shooter, who complied by lying on the ground, and then apprehended him.

 AR-platform weapon used in shooting:

  According to Hosey, the firearm employed in the mass shooting was an AR-platform weapon. A law enforcement representative had previously informed The diplomat news that it was an AR-15-style rifle; however, no details were given regarding how investigators think the suspect acquired the weapon or any specifics about the weapon and ammunition utilized.

Authorities are currently examining the means by which the suspect transported the weapon into the school. Hosey stated they are working to clarify the timeline from the suspect’s arrival at school to the incident.

Law enforcement officials told The Diplomat that the high school had received a phone threat prior to the incident. Wednesday morning’s call warned of shootings at five schools, with Apalachee identified as the primary target. The identity of the caller remains unknown.

The Barrow County School System placed all schools, including the high school, on lockdown for safety.

Authorities dispatched officers to all district high schools as a precaution, but they reported no additional incidents.

 Government officials react to shooting:

  Georgia Governor Brian Kemp announced the mobilization of all available state resources to aid at the incident site, as stated in a social media post. He called upon “all Georgians to join my family in praying for the safety of those in our classrooms, both in Barrow County and throughout the state.” President Joe Biden extended an offer of federal assistance to state and local authorities and urged Congress to enact a ban on assault weapons. “We cannot continue to accept this as normal,” he remarked in a statement.

 General Merrick Garland indicated that the U.S. Department of Justice “stands ready” to assist the community following the shooting. “We are still in the process of gathering information, but the FBI and ATF are present, collaborating with state,

Local, and federal partners,” Garland stated during a meeting of the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force.

Local schools closed following shooting:

Barrow County schools will remain closed until next week during the investigation. The district has approximately 15,340 students, including 1,932 at Apalachee.

Comparing that to the past school shootings, this year alone has seen 45 school shootings, out of which 32 occurred on the K-12 campuses and another 13 on university and college campuses. This incident marks one of 11 school shootings resulting in four or more fatalities since 2008, the year the diplomat news began monitoring such events.

What we know about the 14-year-old suspect

Police interviewed a 14-year-old Apalachee student last year after receiving anonymous tips about online threats of a school shooting. The agencies reported that he refuted the allegations of making threats online.

The threats made online reportedly included images of firearms, according to the statement.

The father stated he owned hunting firearms at home, but the individual did not have unsupervised access to them.

According to Smith, investigators have engaged with the individual suspected of the shooting and have also communicated with his family.

The sheriff stated authorities haven’t determined the assailant’s prior connection to victims but will thoroughly investigate this aspect.

Student Lyela Sayarath recalled the suspected shooter leaving and later returning, knocking to re-enter the classroom before class ended.

Another student tried to open the door, but Lyela saw the firearm and prevented access. Subsequently, the shooter proceeded to the adjacent classroom and opened fire.

Hosey stated that there is no evidence suggesting that other schools were targeted; however, investigators are actively following up on “any leads regarding potential associates of the shooter involved in this incident.” Furthermore, there is no indication of any additional shooter being involved, nor is there evidence of a list of targeted schools.

Hosey remarked, “We are currently collecting and assessing a substantial amount of evidence.”

Smith warned that law enforcement’s investigation into the shooting and its motives may take “multiple days” to yield answers.

Kemp expressed gratitude towards the first responders and officials who attended to the shooting incident on Wednesday.

Kemp expressed deep condolences to families of victims and the injured, calling the situation everyone’s worst nightmare.

“The true heroes we must acknowledge are the faculty and staff at this institution,” Hosey emphasized. “Their commendable actions were heroic. Today, the school and system activated their protocols, preventing a far greater tragedy than what we experienced. I wish to honour them for their efforts.”