A 14-year-old boy is being charged with murder after a deadly shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, on Wednesday. Four people, including two students and two teachers, were killed, and nine others were injured during the attack, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
The suspect, Colt Gray, a student at the school, was arrested by two officers on campus and will be tried as an adult. Reports indicate that the FBI had previously interviewed him in 2023 after receiving anonymous tips about online threats to commit a school shooting. However, no action was taken.
The attack occurred around 10:20 AM local time at the high school, which has about 1,900 students. Sheriff Jud Smith described the incident as “pure evil” during a news conference. The sheriff said that law enforcement arrived quickly, and the school resource officers confronted the suspect, who surrendered without resistance.
As of now, no motive has been identified, and law enforcement officials stated that they do not believe the shooter had specific targets.
In 2023, the FBI had visited Gray after discovering online threats that included pictures of guns. His father had told agents that there were hunting guns in the house, but Gray did not have unsupervised access to them. At the time, Gray denied making the threats, and no further action was taken by authorities.
Among the victims was 14-year-old student Mason Schermerhorn, who had autism. His family confirmed his death on social media after initially searching for him. Teacher and coach David Phenix was also injured, suffering gunshot wounds.
The authorities have not disclosed what type of weapon was used or how many shots were fired. Sheriff Smith mentioned that it would take several days to fully understand the details of the attack.
Dozens of police officers responded quickly to the scene, and the school was placed on lockdown before students were evacuated to a nearby football stadium to reunite with their families. Witnesses described the terrifying events as the shooting unfolded.
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp shared his condolences on social media, stating that he was praying for the victims and directing all available resources to help with the investigation. Vice President Kamala Harris, speaking at a campaign rally in New Hampshire, called the shooting a “senseless tragedy,” while former President Donald Trump condemned the attack as the act of a “sick and deranged monster” on his platform, Truth Social.
