The shooting suspect will appear in court for the first time on Friday
Colt Gray, the suspect in the Georgia school shooting, is set to make his first court appearance on Friday, according to Glenn Allen, communications director for the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice.
Gray will participate in a virtual hearing, though the exact timing is not yet known.
He was transferred to the Gainesville Youth Detention Center overnight. Although he will be charged as an adult, he is currently being held in juvenile custody due to his age.
A student reported that classmates are making efforts to support one another today
Students at Apalachee High School are supporting one another in the aftermath of the deadly shooting on Wednesday, which claimed the lives of two classmates and two teachers.
Sixteen-year-old Lyela Sayarath, who was seated next to the 14-year-old suspect in algebra class that morning, told CNN on Thursday that she intends to check in on her friends today.
Sayarath noted that the suspect left the classroom before the shooting occurred.
“He usually skips class, so you never really know where he’s going,” she said.
When the suspect returned toward the end of class, he knocked to re-enter. According to Sayarath, another student went to open the door but noticed the gun and decided not to let him in. The suspect then moved to the classroom next door and opened fire.
Sayarath mentioned that she knows some students who witnessed the shooting firsthand.
“They’re struggling a bit, but I’m trying to be there for them and ensure they’re OK,” she said.
Barrow County schools will be closed for the remainder of the week, as announced by Superintendent Dallas LeDuff. Grief counseling will also be made available.
Shooting suspect being held at youth detention center
Colt Gray, a 14-year-old suspect in the Apalachee High School shooting, is currently detained at the Gainesville Regional Youth Detention Center, according to Glenn Allen, the communications director for the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice, as reported by CNN.
Gray is expected to make his initial appearance in Barrow County Superior Court.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has announced that Gray will face murder charges as an adult.
The Georgia school shooting is the 45th in the US this year.
The shooting is at least the 45th school shooting in 2024 and the deadliest of the year, according to a CNN analysis.
This year, 32 school shootings have occurred on K-12 campuses, and 13 on university and college campuses.
In 2023, there were 82 school shootings in the US: 52 on K-12 campuses and 30 on university and college campuses.
Comparing school shootings this year to previous years:
As of September 4—Day 248 of the year—there have been 45 school shootings in the United States in 2024. The light purple areas on the graph show the number of school shootings that had occurred by the 248th day of each previous year.
According to the Gun Violence Archive, the US has experienced at least 385 mass shootings so far this year, defined as incidents where four or more people are shot.
This averages to more than 1.5 mass shootings per day.
Here is the comparison of mass shootings so far this year with those in previous years
Over 300 mass shootings have occurred so far in 2024, reaching this grim milestone earlier in the year than in any year from 2013 to 2020.
Families need to better secure firearms from children, says the attorney who prosecuted the Michigan shooter’s parents
Karen McDonald, the attorney who prosecuted Ethan Crumbley and his parents for the 2021 mass shooting at Michigan’s Oxford High School, described the recent school shooting in Georgia as a tragic reminder for those affected by previous shootings.
“I was in contact with Oxford victims all day yesterday, and it is heartbreaking to see this happen again,” McDonald told CNN on Thursday morning.
It’s worth noting that Crumbley’s parents were the first in U.S. history to be held criminally responsible for their child’s actions in a mass shooting, convicted of manslaughter. Ethan Crumbley was tried separately and sentenced to life in prison.
McDonald mentioned that investigators are working to determine how the suspect in the Apalachee High School shooting, Colt Gray, acquired the rifle allegedly used in the incident.
The weapon used in Wednesday’s shooting was reported to be an AR-platform rifle, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation director. A law enforcement official previously told CNN it was an AR-15-style rifle.
“It’s a deadly weapon, and the suspect is a 14-year-old young man. The first question must be, where did he obtain that gun? The details emerging are very concerning,” she said.
The FBI reported that Gray was questioned by law enforcement last year regarding threats of a school shooting, but there was “no probable cause for arrest or to take any additional law enforcement action” at that time. The statement added that Gray’s father had indicated there were hunting guns in the house, but the suspect did not have unsupervised access to them.
Regardless of whether the Georgia suspect’s parents are ultimately held liable in the Apalachee High School shooting, McDonald emphasized that parents must take greater measures to keep firearms away from their children.
“It takes just 10 seconds to install a cable lock,” McDonald said. “Ten seconds could prevent tragedies like this, and responsible gun owners understand that.”
Law enforcement questioned the suspect last year about school shooting threats
The 14-year-old student suspected of killing two students and two teachers at Apalachee High School was questioned by law enforcement last year about several anonymous tips regarding online threats to commit a school shooting at an unspecified location and time, according to a joint statement from FBI Atlanta and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office.
The threats included photographs of guns. Both the suspect and his father were interviewed by the sheriff’s office. The father reported having hunting guns in the house but said the suspect did not have unsupervised access to them.
The suspect denied making the online threats. Jackson County notified local schools to continue monitoring the situation.
The statement said, “At that time, there was no probable cause for arrest or for taking any additional law enforcement action at the local, state, or federal levels.”
After the shooting, her son’s school went into lockdown, and then the long wait began
Pam Mosher was at the supermarket when she received a message from her son’s school:
“Parents, we are currently taking precautions and the school is in a hard lockdown due to the neighboring school, Apalachee, being on lockdown. HMMS students are safe. Please do not attempt to come to the school at this time.”
Police cars raced by with sirens and lights flashing, heading toward the middle school just a 10-minute walk from Apalachee High School.
“Parents, we are currently taking precautions and the school is in a hard lockdown due to the neighboring school, Apalachee, being on lockdown. HMMS students are safe. Please do not attempt to come to the school at this time.”
Pam knew something was seriously wrong.
Her eighth-grade son, Tim Mosher, was in music class when he heard a gunshot. He later told his mom it sounded like an AR. The 13-year-old prepared to use a large drum as a weapon against the shooter.
Then an announcement came over the loudspeaker: The school was on hard lockdown.
Tim sat against the wall as the lights were turned off. Silence fell over the room. This was a drill they had practiced. Tim had his phone with him, but like everyone else, he knew not to use it.
Pam left the store and went home, anxiously receiving texts from the school.
News began to spread through text chains and news stations about four people being shot dead at Apalachee High.
Pam waited, trying to remain patient and trust her neighbors and the system.
“We’re in Barrow County,” she said later. “We’re a tight-knit community. I know what those cop cars are equipped with and that they’are trained for situations like this.”
By mid-afternoon, Pam received a text informing her that the lockdown had been lifted.
She drove toward Haymon-Morris Middle School but found herself unable to get close. Parents, grandparents, neighbors, and friends of the children in Winder, Georgia, had congested the roads leading to the schools, creating a traffic jam extending for over a mile in all directions.
After the shooting, Pam joined the crowd of people who had parked their cars and were walking toward the area, pushing strollers, maneuvering scooters, and carrying toddlers on their hips and shoulders. They were all heading toward the flashing blue lights.
When Pam arrived at Tim’s school, she found that the police, sheriff’s deputies, and SWAT officers had blocked all entrances. After showing her ID and having Tim confirm that he was her son, they were finally able to begin the long walk home. Pam was relieved that they were safe, but she was also angry that they had to go through this ordeal.
The tool that alerted officials about the Georgia school shooting was rolled just a week ago, the Sheriff says
Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith said Wednesday that Georgia law enforcement was notified about the shooting at Apalachee High School due to a new safety measure adopted just a week ago.
“All of our teachers are equipped with an ID called Centegix,” Smith told reporters.
Centegix notifies law enforcement when a button on the ID is pressed, indicating an active situation at the school.
“We’ve had this system in place at the school for about a week now,” Smith added.
According to Centegix’s website, the tool features “dynamic digital mapping, real-time location capabilities, an easy-to-use wearable panic button for school and district staff, a school visitor management system, and safe reunification capabilities,” all of which help educators plan for and respond more quickly to emergencies.
Several states, including Georgia, have enacted legislation to implement panic alarm systems.
Update on the Shooting at Apalachee High School in Georgia
On Wednesday, a mass shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, resulted in four deaths and nine hospitalizations. The suspected gunman, a 14-year-old student at the school, is currently in custody. The school is located approximately an hour outside of Atlanta.
Here’s what we know:
Victims
The four individuals who lost their lives have been identified as:
- Mason Schermerhorn, a 14-year-old student
- Christian Angulo, a 14-year-old student
- Richard Aspinwall, a teacher and assistant football coach
- Christina Irimie, a teacher
Richard Aspinwall and Christina Irimie were both math teachers at the school, according to the school’s website.
In addition, nine other people—eight students and one teacher—were injured and hospitalized. All are expected to survive.
Suspected Shooter
The suspected gunman has been identified as Colt Gray.
- He will face murder charges and will be tried as an adult.
- Last year, Gray was questioned by law enforcement following several anonymous tips about online threats to commit a school shooting at an unspecified location and time, according to the FBI Atlanta and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office. At that time, there was insufficient probable cause for an arrest.
Timeline of the Shooting
- According to student Lyela Sayarath, the suspected shooter left the classroom at the start of their Algebra 1 class around 9:45 a.m. When he returned toward the end of the class, he knocked to be let back in. Another student attempted to open the door but noticed the gun and chose not to let him in. The shooter then went to the adjacent classroom and opened fire.
- The sheriff’s department received the first reports of the shooting around 10:20 a.m.
- Shortly after, law enforcement arrived at the scene, joined by two school resource officers assigned to Apalachee High.
- One of the officers confronted the shooter, who immediately surrendered and was taken into custody, according to Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith.
- At the time of the shooting, all schools in the district were placed on lockdown, and police were dispatched to all district high schools as a precaution.
- The FBI and ATF later arrived to work alongside local and state officials, as noted by Attorney General Merrick Garland.
The Investigation
- According to law enforcement sources speaking to CNN, there were no reports of additional incidents or scenes.
- The gun used in Wednesday’s shooting was identified as an AR-platform weapon, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation director. Earlier, a law enforcement official had informed CNN that it was an AR-15-style rifle.
- Apalachee High School received a phone threat earlier in the morning, warning of shootings at five schools, with Apalachee being the first target, according to multiple law enforcement officials speaking to CNN.
- GBI Director Chris Hosey stated that there is no evidence suggesting other schools are being targeted. However, investigators are following up on any leads related to potential associates of the shooter involved in the incident. At this time, there is no evidence of additional shooters or a list of targeted schools, Hosey added.
- Schools in the county will remain closed for the week while the investigation continues.
Update on the Georgia High School Shooting: Latest Developments
