At Apalachee High School in Georgia, a tragic incident has left at least four people dead and nine others injured.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation reported that a suspect was apprehended and is alive following reports of an ‘active shooter’ at approximately 10:20 am this morning.
Earlier, CNN indicated that the shooter inside Apalachee High School was suspected to be a 14-year-old boy.
In a subsequent news conference, law enforcement confirmed the suspect’s identity as 14-year-old Colt Gray, a student at the school.
Chris Hosey, Director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, stated that Gray will face murder charges and will be tried as an adult.
Hosey further confirmed the fatalities include two teachers and two students, with nine others injured.
“There are four individuals who are deceased from this incident. Nine that have been taken to local hospitals with various injuries. Of those that are deceased, two were students and two were teachers here at the school,” Hosey said.
The victims have been identified as 14-year-old student Mason Schermerhorn, 14-year-old student Christian Angulo, teacher Richard Aspinwall, and teacher Christina Irimie.
Aspinwall and Irimie were both math teachers at Apalachee, according to the school’s website.
Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith earlier confirmed ‘multiple injuries’ at a news conference while cautioning that it might take ‘multiple days’ to fully understand the events.
“Every minute, it’s developing on what we’re finding,” he added.
The Barrow County Sheriff’s Office stated that deputies and emergency medical personnel responded to the school at around 10:30 am following a call about an ‘active shooter’ (previous reports suggested the call was received at around 9:30 am, but Hosey confirmed it was received at around 10:20 am).
FBI agents from Atlanta were dispatched to assist local authorities on the scene.
President Joe Biden addressed the shooting in a statement earlier today, writing, “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,” Biden added. “We cannot continue to accept this as normal.”
Vice President Kamala Harris also commented on the shooting at a rally in New Hampshire, calling it a ‘senseless tragedy.’
“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,” Harris said.
“We’ve got to stop it,” she stated, adding, “it doesn’t have to be this way.”
This is a developing story and updates will be provided as more information becomes available.
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact The Compassionate Friends at (877) 969-0010.