What we know so far on the suspect, victims and more

Two students and two teachers were killed and nine others injured in a devastating shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, on Wednesday.

Details are emerging about how it happened and the identity of the suspect, 14-year-old Colt Gray.

Here’s what we know.

What happened?

The gunfire was first reported around 10:20 a.m. at Apalachee High School, roughly 45 miles northeast of Atlanta. Classes were in session just over a month into the school year, Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Chris Hosey said.

The call came in from a teacher who pressed buttons on a device that notifies law enforcement of an “active situation at the school,” Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith said. He said that all teachers have one of these devices.

Follow live coverage on the Georgia school shooting

Witnesses told local reporters that they heard banging followed by a loud boom as students and teachers scrambled to hide.

The suspect, identified as Colt Gray, immediately surrendered after a sheriff’s deputy working as a school resource officer confronted him, authorities said.

Hosey said that Gray used an “AR platform-style weapon” and there is no evidence yet to support the involvement of additional shooters. It is still unclear how Gray obtained the gun and brought it into the school.

Hosey said that investigators are trying to clarify the timeline of events, from Gray’s arrival at the school to the shooting.

Who were the victims?

The victims were identified as 14-year-old students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, and teachers Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Christina Irimie, 53.

Both Aspinwall and Irimie taught math at the high school, according to the school’s website. Aspinwall was also a defense coordinator for the football team.

A GoFundMe page for Angulo has raised over $47,000 in donations.

“He was only 14 years old. He was a very good kid and very sweet and so caring,” said Angulo’s older sister, Lisette, who set up the page. “He was so loved by many. His loss was so sudden and unexpected. We are truly heartbroken. He really didn’t deserve this.”

Who was injured?

The nine people injured included eight students and one teacher, authorities said. They were all injured by gunfire in some capacity and all are expected to recover.

The daughter of one of the injured victims, golf coach David Phenix, said her father’s hip was shattered after he was struck in the foot and hip. In a Facebook post, she said he was in stable condition after surgery.

Who was the suspected shooter? Did he make previous threats?

Colt Gray, the 14-year-old suspect, will be charged with murder and tried as an adult, authorities said.

According to federal authorities, Gray was investigated in May 2023 in connection with threats to carry out a school shooting. That month, the FBI office in Atlanta had received anonymous tips about online threats to commit a school shooting that included pictures of guns, the office said in a joint statement with the sheriff’s office in Jackson County, Georgia on Wednesday.

Gray had denied making the threats. His father was also interviewed and told investigators he had hunting guns in the home, but his son did not have unsupervised access to them, the statement said.

Local schools were alerted to continue monitoring Gray, but there was no probable cause for an arrest at the time.

Authorities are now investigating whether the 2023 threats are connected to Wednesday’s shooting.

Gray is currently being held at the Gainesville Youth Detention Center, according to a spokesperson for the Georgia Department of Corrections.

What are we hearing from the community?

The shooting has shaken the Apalachee High School community, with students recounting the moments of terror surrounding the event.

Ariel Bowling, an Apalachee sophomore, said the shooting was “just a really traumatic experience.”

“I just feel like you’re basically never safe anywhere and no matter if there’s cops in the school, there’s still no safety at all,” Bowling said.

Another sophomore at the school, Miguel Eduardo Perichi Orta, said he was “upset and disappointed” over the deadly violence.

“If something like this can happen here, when you think it’s a normal day, it can happen anywhere, and that’s what really hurts,” he said.

Other students described the panic and fear they experienced when the shooting occurred. One student said she was “suffocating” as she sheltered in place.

The Winder community came together for a vigil on Wednesday night, with community members praying and lighting candles for the victims.

Politicians across the country have also expressed their shock and sadness over the shooting, some calling for gun reform legislation.

In a statement, President Joe Biden said the shooting was “another horrific reminder of how gun violence continues to tear our communities apart.”