A STUDENT accused of shooting four people dead and injuring nine others in a high school massacre on Wednesday was known to the FBI a year ago, cops have revealed.
Colt Gray, 14, allegedly launched his deadly attack in Apalachee High School in Barrow County, Georgia, on Wednesday morning – just minutes after leaving algebra class.
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Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith and GBI Director Chris Hosey seen on their way to a press conference to speak on the Apalachee High School shootingCredit: Reuters
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Mason Schermerhorn, 14, was identified as one of the four victims killed during the Apalachee High School shootingCredit: Facebook/QuinTrilla Johnson
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He was joined by Christian Angulo, 14, also killed in the senseless attackCredit: GoFundMe
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Teacher Richard Aspinwall was gunned down and killed during the horror shootingCredit: Apalachee High School
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Teacher Christina Irimie was named as one of the victims killedCredit: Christina Irimie
His classmate Lyela Sayarath, who was sat next to him at the time, said she had no indication the shooting would take place, describing Gray as a “quiet” teen.
However, she revealed to CNN that she “wasn’t surprised” when he was identified as the gunman.
“When you think of shooters and the way they act, it’s usually the quiet kid and he was the one that fit that description,” she said.
The FBI revealed on Wednesday it had interviewed Gray and his father in May 2023 after receiving “several anonymous tips about online threats to commit a school shooting at an unidentified location and time.”
What we know so far…
- Four people are dead, and nine others were injured, the Georgia Bureau of Investigations confirmed.
- Mason Schermerhorn, 14, Christian Angulo, 14, and teachers Richard Aspinwall and Christina Irimie were identified as those killed.
- 14-year-old student Colt Gray was named as the suspected shooter.
- Gray was reportedly interviewed by the FBI a year before after authorities received online threats of a possible school shooting.
- Students gathered on the football field after the attack.
- President Biden and Vice President Harris have been briefed.
- Devastating texts revealed student’s fear.
“The online threats contained photographs of guns,” a joint statement from the FBI Atlanta and Jackson County Sheriff’s Office read.
“Within 24 hours, the FBI determined the online post originated in Georgia.”
Officials brought Gray and his dad in for questioning at the time where it was revealed hunting guns were kept at their home.
Gray’s dad claimed, however, that the teen “did not have unsupervised access to them.”
Gray, who was 13 at the time, “denied making the threats online” but the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office identified him as a possible suspect.
At the time of the 2023 interview, police believed there was no “probable cause for arrest” but Jackson County remained on alert for a possible shooting and “continued monitoring” of Gray.
Police Help Students Evacuate After Shooting at Georgia High School
On Wednesday, Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Chris Hosey named the four victims as Mason Schermerhorn, 14, Christian Angulo, 14, and teachers Richard Aspinwall and Christina Irimie.
He said the gunman used an AR-15 rifle to carry out the killings, though it is not known how he got access to the firearm.
Speaking at a news conference, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, said, “This is everybody’s worst nightmare and I just want to offer my sincere condolences and our thoughts and prayers to the families that have lost loved ones, for those that are injured and continuing to fight through just a tragic time.”
HARROWING DETAILS
Horrified students made desperate efforts to block their classrooms after learning of an active shooting in their Winder school after 9 am on Wednesday morning.
By 10:30 am, agencies across the city had raced to the scene, and anxious parents followed closely behind.
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Students are consoled each another during a vigil held after the Apalachee High School Shooting on September 4, 2024Credit: Reuters
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Students, families, and faculty gather for a vigil for the four victims of the school shooting that took place at Apalachee High School on September 4, 2024Credit: EPA/Erik S. Lesser
Student Lyela Sayara told CNN that Gray left their classroom at the beginning of their Algebra 1 class around 9:45 am, about half an hour before the school released active shooter alerts.
By the time Gray returned and knocked on the door to be let back in, staff had received emails of a gunman on campus.
However, not knowing the danger, a student from the class went to open the door before noticing Gray had a gun.
“I guess he saw we weren’t going to let him in. And I guess the classroom next to me, their door was open so I think he just started shooting in the classroom,” she told the outlet.
“When we heard it, most people just dropped to the floor and like kind of crawled in an area like piled on top of each other.
“The teacher turned off the lights, but we all just kind of piled together. And like I pushed desks in front of us.”
Lyela said her friend was in the classroom where the shooting took place, adding that he was “pretty shaken up.”
“He saw somebody get shot. He had blood on him,” she said.
“He was kind of limping. He looked horrified.”
She described Gray as quiet and shy, and said he would only speak in one-word sentences when they worked on group projects together.
The teen added that “he wasn’t [in school] most times, he would just skip class” and that when he had originally left the classroom she had assumed he was just skipping out again.
Aerial footage showed hundreds of students being escorted out of the massive school and onto the nearby football stadium bleachers.
Emotional parents were already standing outside, waiting to hug their children and check whether they were safe.
Barrow County Sheriff Judd Smith said Colt Gray “gave up and got on the ground” when he realized the situation was going to escalate into a gunfire exchange with officers.
Pure evil happened today.
Barrow County Sheriff Judd Smith
“I never imagined I would be speaking to the media in my career over something that happened today,” an emotional Smith said.
“Pure evil happened today. This hits home for me. I was born and raised here. I went to school in this school system.
“My kids go to this school system. I am proud of this school system. My heart hurts for these kids. My heart hurts for this community.
“But I want to make it very clear that hate will not prevail in this county. I want that to be very clear and known. Law will prevail over what happened today.”
‘AN EVIL THING’
In an early press conference, Smith described the shooting as a “fluid scene” and said it would take several days to piece together what happened.
However, he did say, “What you see behind us is an evil thing.”
Smith said Gray was cooperating with investigators, but no motive has been established.
“I don’t know why it happened. I may not ever know. We may not ever know. But I ask that you and our community lift up our schools, lift up our public safety,” the sheriff added.
In addition to the four victims, the nine others who were injured included eight teachers and a student.
They were all hospitalized with various non-life-threatening injuries with three of them suffering from gunshot wounds and five with symptoms of a panic attack.
Hosey said Gray will be charged with murder and treated as an adult.
During Wednesday night’s conference, Smith said all victims were expected to survive.
“We don’t expect more fatalities at this time,” Smith said.
TEACHER SHOT
A woman named Katie Phenix earlier said her father, a coach and special education teacher, David Phenix, was one of the injured victims.
Phenix is in stable condition, but his daughter said he was shot twice and needed surgery.
Phenix was shot in the foot and his hip was completely shattered by gunfire, Katie said.
“We are so thankful for all the texts, calls, and messages about my dad, David Phenix,” she wrote on Facebook.
“We will update as we hear new information. We are so, so lucky, but please keep our family as well as the AHS family in your prayers.”
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David Phenix, a teacher at Apalachee High School, was shot twice during the shooting and is expected to recoverCredit: Facebook
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Barrow County Schools Superintendent Dallas LeDuff speaks at a press conferenceCredit: AFP
DESPERATE PLEA
One mom, Erin Clark, revealed texts sent by her teenage son after the shooting and exclusively told The U.S. Sun that he heard eight or nine shots.
Her son, Ethan, told his mom he was “scared” and “not joking” at the time before his mom soberly responded, “I love you.”
“Someone’s dead,” Ethan wrote in the raw conversation after Erin said she was leaving work to get him.
Ethan said he and another classmate bravely worked to barricade their classroom door with chairs to stop the shooter.
Another student, Sergio Caldera, 17, described the moment he learned about the shooting.
“My teacher goes and opens the door to see what’s going on,” he told ABC News.
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A text exchange between Erin Clark and her son, Ethan, who was at Apalachee High School during the shootingCredit: Erin Clark
“Another teacher comes running in and tells her to close the door because there’s an active shooter.”
Students ran to the back of the classroom, and the teachers locked the door.
Moments later, Caldera said someone banged on the door and yelled, “Open up.”
After the knocking stopped, Caldera said he heard gunshots and screams.
‘JUST OUTRAGEOUS’
Government officials spoke out in the aftermath of Wednesday’s shooting.
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp said he directed “all available state resources” to respond to the school.
“We will continue to work with local, state, and federal partners as we gather information and further respond to this situation,” he said in a statement.
At a rally, Vice President Kamala Harris spoke out against the violence to her supporters.
“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,” the presidential nominee said.
“We’ve got to stop it. It does not have to be this way.”
Biden’s statement on the shooting
President Joe Biden has released a statement about the shooting at Apalachee High School in Georgia on Wednesday morning.
“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,” Biden said.
“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. We cannot continue to accept this as normal.
“We are closely coordinating with officials at the federal, state and local level, and are grateful for the first responders who brought the suspect into custody and prevented further loss of life,” he continued.
“Ending this gun violence epidemic is personal to me. It’s why I signed into law the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act – the most meaningful gun safety bill in decades – and have announced dozens of gun safety executive actions.
“I also established the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, overseen by Vice President Harris. We’ve made significant progress, but this crisis requires even more.
“After decades of inaction, Republicans in Congress must finally say ‘enough is enough’ and work with Democrats to pass common-sense gun safety legislation.
“We must ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines once again, require safe storage of firearms, enact universal background checks, and end immunity for gun manufacturers.
“These measures will not bring those who were tragically killed today back, but it will help prevent more tragic gun violence from ripping more families apart.”
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A police officer is seen talking with someone outside the Barrow County high schoolCredit: EPA
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Students flooded the football stadium after being evacuated from Apalachee High School on WednesdayCredit: AP
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Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith addressed the media in a press briefing following the shootingCredit: Getty
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