4 killed, several injured in shooting at Apalachee High School, suspect in custody

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - Four people are dead and multiple others were injured in a shooting at Apalachee High School on Wednesday morning, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI).

Two teachers and two students were killed in the shooting, the GBI said Wednesday afternoon.

In a Wednesday night press conference, the GBI identified the students as 14-year-olds Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo. They identified the teachers as Cristina Irimie and Richard Aspinwall.

The agency said nine other victims – eight students and one teacher – were taken to area hospitals. At least six of the victims, including two who were shot, were taken to a Northeast Georgia Medical Center campus, according to hospital officials. The two people shot did not have life-threatening injuries, officials said.

The agency said the suspect, identified as 14-year-old Apalachee High student Colt Gray, will be charged with murder and tried as an adult. He is being held in the Gainesville Regional Youth Detention Center.

Officials said an AR-platform-style gun was used.

The Barrow County Sheriff’s Office said earlier that a suspect was in custody after “multiple casualties” were reported in a shooting at the school.

Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith said during a press conference that an “evil thing” happened at the school.

“First and foremost, I want to lift up our community. I want to give our sympathies to our community, our school system, our kids, our parents that had to witness this today,” Smith said.

A large number of law enforcement officers responded to Apalachee High School in Barrow County shortly before 10:30 a.m. after reports of an active shooting prompted a lockdown.

Dozens of officers could be seen on the ground, alongside ambulances and a medic helicopter. At least one person was loaded into the helicopter on a stretcher. Grady Hospital in Atlanta confirmed that the victim was transported there.

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Students were evacuated into the school’s stadium and the district said they are being released to parents, however, parents must stay with their kids until dismissal. Buses will be available, they added.

The circumstances of the incident are currently unknown. Smith said law enforcement does not believe there is a connection between the suspected shooter and the victims.

Gov. Brian Kemp said he has directed “all available state resources” to respond to the school.

“This hits home for us,” Kemp said at a Wednesday press conference. “This is everybody’s worst nightmare.”

The FBI and Georgia Bureau of Investigation are responding to the school.

“FBI Atlanta is aware of the current situation at Apalachee High School,” Tony Thomas, FBI Atlanta spokesperson said. “Our agents are on scene coordinating with and supporting local law enforcement.”

The FBI said they believe Gray made an online threat in May 2023.

The FBI said its National Threat Operations Center got several anonymous tips about “online threats to commit a school shooting at an unidentified location and time.”

The FBI said the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office found a possible suspect, a 13-year-old boy, later identified as Gray, who was interviewed, along with his father. The father told law enforcement there were hunting guns in the house and the boy denied making the threats online. The FBI said, at time, there was no cause for an arrest.

President Joe Biden has been briefed on the shooting by his Homeland Security advisor, according to The White House. They said his administration “will continue coordinating with federal, state, and local officials.”

“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. 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,” Biden said in a statement. “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.”

At a Wednesday news conference, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said the Justice Department is ready to provide resources to Barrow County.

Garland said he is “devastated for the families who have been affected by this terrible tragedy.”

Barrow County is about 40 miles northeast of Atlanta.

“We urge anyone near the area to stay clear while authorities investigate,” the GBI said.

Apalachee High School has about 1,900 students, according to records from Georgia education officials obtained by the Associated Press. The school became Barrow County’s second-largest public high school when it opened in 2000, according to the Barrow County School System. The school is named after the Apalachee River on the southern edge of Barrow County.

There will be a public vigil at Jug Tavern Park at 7 p.m. on Wednesday.

Barrow County Schools will be closed for the remainder of the week.

This is a developing story. Check back with Atlanta News First for details.