A 14-year-old boy is set to face murder charges after a shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, left four people dead and nine others injured.
The victims included two students and two teachers, while the suspect, Colt Gray, was arrested by officers on campus and will be tried as an adult, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Gray had been previously interviewed by the FBI in 2023 after receiving anonymous tips about threats he had made online.
However, no action was taken at the time due to insufficient evidence. According to the FBI, the suspect and his father were questioned about the threats, with the father assuring agents that Colt did not have unsupervised access to their household’s hunting guns. No probable cause was found for an arrest.
The shooting took place at around 10:20 a.m., with law enforcement quickly responding to the scene. Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith described the attack as “pure evil,” adding that the shooter surrendered immediately when confronted by officers.
The victims included 14-year-old student Mason Schermerhorn, who was autistic. His family confirmed his death after sharing his photo online in an attempt to locate him.
Teacher David Phenix was injured, suffering gunshot wounds to his foot and hip, but was reported to be in stable condition after surgery.
One student, Lyela Sayarath, recounted that Gray left their algebra class, only to return with a gun.
When another student refused to let him back into the classroom, Gray moved to the adjacent room, where the shooting began. “I can still picture everything, like the blood, the shouting,” Sayarath told CNN.
Another student, Marques Coleman, described seeing Gray holding a “big gun” just before the attack and hearing at least 10 shots. He recounted how his teacher barricaded the door with desks as classmates were injured.
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp expressed his concern, stating on social media that he was “praying for the safety of those in our classrooms” and had directed all available state resources to assist.
Vice President Kamala Harris condemned the incident as “a senseless tragedy” and emphasized that it is unacceptable for parents to worry about their children’s safety at school.
Former President Donald Trump also responded, calling the shooter a “sick and deranged monster” on his Truth Social platform. Attorney General Merrick Garland confirmed that federal agents were involved in the ongoing investigation.
Source-BBC
