4 dead, at least 9 injured in Apalachee High School shooting, 14-year-old suspect arrested: police

Wed, 04 Sep 2024 23:26:16 -0400

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A concerned mother of a student bluntly asked law enforcement about the chain of events leading to the Apalachee High School shooting during a news conference on Wednesday evening.

The woman questioned Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith about why a female faculty member was reportedly sent to look for the suspected gunman minutes before he opened fire.

"I was asking, why did the school resource officer not go looking for this kid and approach him?" the mother asked. "And why they sent a female faculty member to the room, the algebra room he was in with my daughter, looking for him, instead of the school resource officer?"

"Or why this school allowed this boy to come and go from the class all the time?" she added. "He could go and sign up for the restroom pass, leave the class and come back sometimes." 

"With all due respect, ma'am, I think your information is incorrect," the sheriff replied. "And our investigation is going to lead to what we have. And we will be glad to answer your questions once that's done."

"I guess victims are lying to you them," she shot back.

"Possibly," Smith responded.

Thu, 05 Sep 2024 01:44:46 -0400

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A high school football team is paying respects to their former coach who was killed when a teenager opened fire inside Apalachee High School in Barrow County, Georgia, killing four people and wounding nine others.

Authorities confirmed Ricky Aspinwall, a math teacher and football coach, was one of the four victims killed Wednesday morning after alleged shooter 14-year-old Colt Gray opened fire inside the school.

"With deepest sympathy we share that former MV secondary coach Ricky Aspinwall was tragically lost during the senseless act at a nearby high school today," the Mountain View Bears Football team wrote in a post on X.

"Coach A was a beloved member of MVHS football and the school’s math department. We pray for Shayna and his girls," the post continued.

A GoFundMe has been set up to help Aspinwell's family, who was a father of two young daughters.

"We are all in shock over the news that Ricky Aspinwall lost his life protecting his students," the post read.

"Coach Aspinwall was a leader of men, and a man you want to coach your kid. We love Coach A and are praying for his wife Shayna and his girls at this time," the team captioned the image.

Gray, a student at Apalachee High School, will be charged with murder and prosecuted as an adult, according to Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith.

Wed, 04 Sep 2024 23:42:15 -0400

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Following a deadly school shooting that claimed the lives of two teachers and two students at a Georgia high school, politicians and officials all sharing their grief over the tragedy.

"Barrow County and our state have been rocked by a senseless tragedy," Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr wrote in a post on X. "We continue to monitor as details come forth, and as we do, our prayers are with all who have been impacted."

Carr also thanked law enforcement for their "quick response and decisive actions."

Georgia Republican State Senator Jason Anavitarte also shared his condolences and vowed to make school safety his highest priority.

"We are devastated to learn of the shooting at Apalachee High School in Barrow County. Jennifer and I are praying for the victims and their families," Anavitarte wrote in a post on X.

"I am the father of three school aged girls and my wife is a school teacher. Safety in our schools is my highest priority. Georgia must provide our children a safe environment to grow and learn," he continued.

On Wednesday, authorities identified Colt Gray, 14, as the shooter who killed two students and two teachers at Apalachee High School. Gray surrendered to authorities and was taken into custody. He is expected to charged as an adult with murder.

Wed, 04 Sep 2024 23:23:54 -0400

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A friend of one of the students killed in the Georgia school shooting remembers his friend and can't believe he is gone.

"I just was like, this isn't real. This can't be happening," Abner Efrain Sanz, a friend of 14-year-old Christian Angulo, who was killed Wednesday morning during the shooting at Apalachee High School told WAGA.

" I was in denial, you know, because you would never believe that somebody that you knew would pass away just like that," he continued.

Angulo, along with another student, Mason Schemerhorn, 14, and two teachers, Richard Aspinwall and Christina Irimie, were all killed when authorities say Colt Gray, 14, opened fire inside the school Wednesday morning.

"I'm trying to process things, and I'm trying to cope by hanging out with my friends and just ignoring the situation in general. But it's still affecting me. Like inside. It's just it's a lot to manage. It's a lot to deal with, and it's just a lot in general," Sanz said.

Sanz did not go to Apalachee, but said the two were friends in middle school.

"He was really funny. He was always like, so energetic, and so happy all the time. He was really just a good friend to be around," Sanz described.

Wed, 04 Sep 2024 22:45:29 -0400

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During a press conference, Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Chris Hosey said there is no evidence to suggest that there were any additional shooters after a 14-year-old student opened fire at a Georgia high school, killing four people and wounding nine others.

Hosey said there was a call to another local high school this morning with a reported threat, but police responded, investigated, and determined there was no threat.

Hosey added that there is also no evidence of a list of schools being targeted. However, there is a lot of evidence that is being recovered and evaluated.

Investigators are diligently reviewing leads to determine if there are any active threats, Hosey said.

Wed, 04 Sep 2024 21:48:26 -0400

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Former President Trump promised to "heal our world" when asked about the Apalachee High School shooting during a Fox News Town Hall on Wednesday night.

Sean Hannity spoke to Trump about the shooting and offered his prayers to Georgia residents before bringing up the issue of violence in America.

"I told this audience, never before have restrictions been so tight," Hannity said. "Obviously after the assassination attempt as well...what is going on?"

"Well, it's a sick and angry world for a lot of reasons, and we're going to make it better," Trump replied. "We're going to heal our world. We're going to get rid of all these wars that are starting all over the place."

Wed, 04 Sep 2024 21:58:43 -0400

Authorities in Georgia identified the four victims who were killed during a shooting at a local high school.

Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Chris Hosey identified two students killed at Apalachee High School as Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14. Math teachers Richard Aspinwall and Christina Irmie were also killed, he said.

The alleged shooter, Colt Gray, 14, will be booked into jail tonight and is expected to appear in court on Thursday. He is expected to be charged as an adult with murder, authorities said earlier.

There was no evidence that other shooters participated in the tragedy, Hosey said.

However, he said investigators were following leads to ensure any potential associates involved are identified.

Wed, 04 Sep 2024 21:10:02 -0400

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A Georgia mother told a local news outlet that her 14-year-old son, who had autism, was killed by a gunman at Apalachee High School on Wednesday.

Channel 2 Action News reported that the mother of Mason Schermerhorn, 14, said that her son was one of the four people who were killed during the shooting.

According to Channel 2, Schermerhorn's family members had circulated photos of him on social media in the wake of the shooting in an attempt to contact him.

Wed, 04 Sep 2024 20:33:22 -0400

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The alleged shooter who killed four people at a Georgia high school and wounded nine others Wednesday previously made threats online to commit a school shooting, the FBI said.

In a joint statement, the FBI's Atlanta field office and Jackson County Sheriff's Office said the agency's National Threat Operations Center received an anonymous tip in May 2023 about threats posted online regarding a possible school shooting.

The threats contained images of guns, the FBI said.

Within 24 hours, investigators determined the threats originated in Georgia and the matter was referred to the Sheriff’s Office.

“The Jackson County Sheriffs’ Office located a possible subject, a 13-year-old male, and interviewed him and his father," the FBI said. "The father stated he had hunting guns in the house, but the subject did not have unsupervised access to them.”

The boy denied making the threats and authorities alerted local schools to monitor the child.

At the time, there was no cause to make an arrest, authorities said.

On Wednesday, authorities identified Colt Gray, 14, as the shooter who killed two students and two teachers at Apalachee High School. Gray surrender to authorities and was taken into custody. He is expected to charged as an adult with murder.

“As a follow to the Joint Statement just released, the subject referred to as the 13 year old is the same subject in custody related to today's shootings at Apalachee High School,” the FBI said. 

At the time, the family resided in Jackson County according to an FBI source, but have since relocated to Barrow County, Georgia.

Wed, 04 Sep 2024 19:42:03 -0400

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The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) has denied allegations that another student at Apalachee High School was involved in the devastating shooting that caused the deaths of four people on Wednesday.

Rumors on social media speculated that another 14-year-old student, whose name was publicized, was involved in the shooting, but the GBI said on Wednesday evening that those reports are false.

So far, 14-year-old Colt Gray has been identified as the only suspect.

Wed, 04 Sep 2024 18:50:12 -0400

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Colt Gray, the alleged gunman who opened fire at Apalachee High School in Barrow County, Georgia, killed four people and injured at least nine Wednesday morning when he began shooting at innocent victims inside the school, police say.

At approximately 10:20 a.m., around two hours after classes at Apalachee had begun, the Barrow County Sheriff's Office responded to reports of an active shooter.

"Within minutes, law enforcement was on scene as well as two school resource officers assigned here to the school," Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith told reporters during a press conference Wednesday afternoon.

Gray, a 14-year-old student at Apalachee High School, will be charged with murder and prosecuted as an adult, according to Smith.

Local law enforcement is coordinating both the investigation and charges with District Attorney Brad Smith of the Piedmont Judicial Circuit.

"The priority right now for us, within this investigation, is to gather all the facts," Smith said. "This is a murder investigation."

Read the full article about the alleged Georgia school shooter by Gabriele Regalbuto

Wed, 04 Sep 2024 19:34:24 -0400

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A vigil will be held Wednesday night to remember the four people killed by a student at a Georgia high school hours earlier.

The city of Winder, an hour from Atlanta, will hold the event at 7 p.m. ET at Jug Tavern Park. The remembrance comes hours after authorities said a 14-year-old teenager shot and killed two students and two teachers at Apalachee High School.

“The City of Winder will open Jug Tavern Park up to the community tonight at 7 p.m. for a time to be together and grieve for the horrific events that unfolded in Barrow County today,” the city posted on its Facebook page.

Gray surrendered to authorities moments after the shooting, which also wounded nine people.

The identities of the victims have not been disclosed.

Wed, 04 Sep 2024 18:43:06 -0400

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A mass shooting at Apalachee High School Wednesday in north central Georgia has left four people dead and nine injured, officials said.

Apalachee High School, located about 40 miles northeast of Atlanta, had students and faculty evacuate the building and move to the school's football field, where many students huddled in a prayer circle.

The Apalachee High School football team lost its home opener 49-7 to Cherokee Bluff Aug. 27. The football team is scheduled to return to the field for its fourth game of the year against Monroe Area, but the status of the game is unknown.

Several of the school's football rivals and even a local college expressed support and prayers through social media for the Winder, Georgia, high school in the aftermath of Wednesday's shooting.

Apalachee is off to an 0-3 start to the season in the second year under the leadership of head coach Mike Hannock. The team went winless in Hannock's first season in 2023 and in 2022. The team's last win came in November 2021, a 34-28 victory over Jackson County in the season finale.

Read the full article about the Georgia school shooting by Jackson Thompson

Wed, 04 Sep 2024 19:33:42 -0400

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A Georgia sheriff called Wednesday's shooting at a high school that left two students and two teachers dead, along with nine others wounded, an act of “pure evil.”

Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith addressed reporters hours after a gunman opened fire at Apalachee High School.

“I never imagined that I would be speaking to the media about in my career over something that happened today. The pure evil that happened today,” Smith said. “My heart hurts for these kids. My heart hurts for this community.”

Colt Gray, 14, a student at the high school, was identified as the shooter. A school resource officer was able to get Gray to surrender moments after opening fire, thus saving lives, authorities said.

The teen was then taken into custody.

Investigators were not sure how Gray brought the weapon on campus and how he obtained it. He was interviewed by authorities, Smith said.

Investigators are still trying to determine if anyone was specially targeted but they were not aware of any known connections between Gray and the victims.

Authorities were “looking into every aspect of that individual, his connection here at the school," said Chris Hosey, the director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

The Barrow County School System will close all its schools for the remainder of the week, said Dallas LeDuff, the county’s superintendent.

LeDuff said the schools will be closed while the district “cooperates fully with law enforcement" and that grief counseling would be available. 

Wed, 04 Sep 2024 19:36:13 -0400

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Fox News senior correspondent Jonathan Serrie appeared on "Your World" to provide the latest updates about the Apalachee High School shooting.

During the segment, Serrie presented cellphone video from the scene of the shooting. The footage showed students forming a single-file line to exit the school.

The teenagers and adults were eerily calm in the footage. On Wednesday afternoon, authorities announced that at least four people were killed during the shooting.

Wed, 04 Sep 2024 19:37:12 -0400

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A school resource officer was able to get the shooter to surrender moments after opening fire, thus saving lives, authorities said.

Colt Gray, 14, killed four people and wounded nine other people at Apalachee High School, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said Wednesday.

“The shooter was armed and our school resource officer engaged him,” said Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith. “The shooter quickly realized that if he did not give up, it would end with an OIS (officer-involved shooting).”

Gray surrendered and got on the ground and he was taken into custody. .

Authorities are not sure how Gray brought the weapon on campus and how he obtained it. Gray was interviewed by investigators, Smith said. Investigators are still trying to determine if anyone was targeted.

Wed, 04 Sep 2024 19:37:56 -0400

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The gunman who shot and killed two student and two teachers at a Georgia high school is being charged with murder, authorities said.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation identified the shooter who opened fire at Apalachee High School in Winder as 14-year-old Colt Gray.

Gray attended the school and was taken into custody, the GBI said. A motive has not been determined.

Wed, 04 Sep 2024 16:18:55 -0400

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House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) released a statement about the Apalachee High School shooting on X Wednesday afternoon.

In a statement, the Louisiana Republican condemned the mass shooting, calling it a "terrible tragedy."

"Our prayers go out today for the Apalachee High School community, and especially the victims and their families who have endured this terrible tragedy," Johnson said.

"The officers of the Winder Police Department are commended for their quick action in apprehending the suspect," the congressman added. "May justice here be swift."

Wed, 04 Sep 2024 16:27:36 -0400

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Former President Trump addressed the Apalachee High School shooting in a social media post on Wednesday, using his platform to express his condolences to the Winder, Georgia, community.

On Truth Social, the Republican presidential nominee called the shooting, which killed at least four people and left at least nine wounded, "tragic."

"Our hearts are with the victims and loved ones of those affected by the tragic event in Winder, GA," Trump wrote.

"These cherished children were taken from us far too soon by a sick and deranged monster," he added.

Wed, 04 Sep 2024 16:03:34 -0400

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Gwendlyn Cook, a grandmother of three children at Apalachee High School, was interviewed by Fox News hosts John Roberts and Sandra Smith in the wake of the deadly school shooting on Wednesday.

Cook described the chaos she witnessed after a gunman opened fire and killed at least four people.

"When I arrived on the scene, I just seen a lot of, parents really panicking," Cook explained. "They was running. They were crying. They were screaming because, you know, stuff like that don't happen in this area. So it was very different for a lot of us."

The grandmother added that her oldest grandaughter texted her to say there was a "serious lockdown."

"She said, 'We just heard a gunshot right outside of our classroom,'" Cook explained. "So their teacher went and locked the door, and they were screaming and hollering and crying and everything in the classroom. And she told me that she went and hid went behind the teacher's desk."

"But the kids were like all over the place in the classroom," the Georgia resident added. "But I do think the teachers were actually locking the door."

Wed, 04 Sep 2024 19:38:40 -0400

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Georgia authorities have not released the identities of the deceased and wounded victims of the Apalachee High School shooting, but one woman came forward to say her father was shot.

In a public Facebook post on Wednesday, a woman named Katie Phenix explained that her father David Phenix had been shot at the school.

"We are so thankful for all the texts, calls, and messages about my dad, David Phenix," the daughter wrote. "There was a shooting this morning at Apalachee High School and my dad was shot in the foot and in the hip, shattering his hip bone."

"He arrived to the hospital alert and awake. He just got out of surgery and is stable," she added. "We will update as we hear new information. We are so, so lucky, but please keep our family as well as the AHS family in your prayers."

Wed, 04 Sep 2024 16:04:01 -0400

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President Biden issued a statement following the shooting at a Georgia high school that left four people dead and many others wounded, while condemning gun violence.

"Jill and I are mourning the deaths of those whose lives were cut short due to more senseless gun violence and thinking of all of the survivors whose lives are forever changed," Biden said in a statement.

"What should have been a joyous back-to-school season in Winder, Georgia, has now turned into another horrific reminder of how gun violence continues to tear our communities apart. Students across the country are learning how to duck and cover instead of how to read and write. We cannot continue to accept this as normal," Biden continued.

Read the full article about President Biden by Stepheny Price

Wed, 04 Sep 2024 19:41:21 -0400

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Vice President Kamala Harris called Wednesday's shooting that left four people dead at a Georgia high school a “senseless tragedy" that needs to stop.

The Democratic presidential nominee was speaking in New Hampshire when she called for action to address gun violence.

“It’s just outrageous that every day in our country, in the United States of America, that parents have to send their children to school worried about whether or not their child will come home alive,” she said.

She added that “it doesn’t have to be this way.”

She said last year she traveled the country and met with students at trade schools and colleges. She asked if they had to participate in an active shooter drill.

“Every time the auditorium was packed, and almost every hand went up,” she said.

Wed, 04 Sep 2024 16:04:13 -0400

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Text messages from a student to his mother reveal the horror happening inside a Georgia high school where authorities have confirmed four are dead and many others wounded after a shooting.

 "School shooting rn. i'm scared.  pls, i'm not joking," the text messages posted by Erin Clark read

.The mother then responds to her son and says she is leaving work.

"i love you," the student tells his mom.

She says it back and asks where he is.

"class. someone's dead," the student responds.

Read the full article about the Georgia school shooting by Stepheny Price

Wed, 04 Sep 2024 16:04:23 -0400

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At least four people are dead Wednesday after a shooting at a high school in north central Georgia put the building on lockdown, authorities said.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation confirmed that four people died at Apalachee High School in Barrow County, Georgia — approximately 40 miles northeast of Atlanta – and nine others were taken to various hospitals with injuries. The suspect is alive and in custody.

"At approximately 10:23 a.m. officers from multiple law enforcement agencies and Fire/EMS personnel were dispatched to the high school in reference to a reported active shooting," the Barrow County Sheriff's Office said in a statement. 

Read the full article about Apalachee High School by Timothy H.J. Nerozzi and Stephen Sorace