The shooting took place at Apalachee High School, which has around 1,900 students. Four individuals were killed including two students and two teachers. Nine people were injured with eight students and one teacher receiving treatment for their wounds.
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Officers received the first reports of the shooting around 10:20 AM local time. Two school resource officers were present on campus and responded quickly.
The suspect was identified as 14-year-old Colt Gray and surrendered without resistance. He got on the ground as officers arrived and was arrested immediately.
Colt Gray, a 14-year-old student at Apalachee High School, was arrested for the shooting. Gray has been charged with murder and will be tried as an adult, according to Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Chris Hosey and Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith.
Gray was previously questioned in 2023 for making online threats involving guns but was not charged, as authorities found no probable cause at the time.
These threats included photos of firearms. Investigators are still working to determine Gray’s motive, but at the time of his arrest, no connections between Gray and the victims were publicly disclosed.
The first reports of an active shooter were made at 10:20 a.m. on September 4. Students and staff were sent into a panic as shots were fired with schools across Barrow County placed into lockdown.
Two school resource officers responded swiftly to the shooting and Gray was taken into custody after one of the officers confronted him.
Gray surrendered without resistance. Authorities later confirmed that Gray used an AR-platform weapon likely an AR-15-style rifle in the attack.
Investigators are still trying to piece together how he obtained the weapon and brought it onto school grounds.
Four Individuals Were Killed:
- Mason Schermerhorn, a 14-year-old student.
- Christian Angulo, another 14-year-old student.
- Richard Aspinwall, a 39-year-old math teacher and assistant football coach.
- Christina Irimie, a 53-year-old math teacher.
Nine other people were injured including eight students and one teacher. All of those injured are expected to recover.
Two 14-year-old students, Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo were killed in the attack. Mason was autistic and his family posted his picture on social media, searching for him before confirming his death.
Two teachers, Richard Aspinwall and Christina Irimie also lost their lives during the shooting. Teacher and coach David Phenix was injured, sustaining serious wounds to his hip and foot. After undergoing surgery his condition stabilized.
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Colt Gray’s Classmate, Lyela Sayarath reported that Gray left the classroom early in the day during algebra class. When he tried to return and knocked on the door, another student, who saw the gun, refused to let him in.
Gray then moved to the classroom next door and began firing. Sophomore Kaylee Abner was in her geometry class when she heard the shots.
Alongside her teacher she and her classmates barricaded the door with desks and she held a classmate’s hand as they prayed for safety.
14-year-old Marques Coleman witnessed the attacker holding a large gun before the shooting began.
The FBI revealed that they had interviewed the suspect in May 2023, after receiving anonymous tips regarding online threats that Gray had made.
The threats included pictures of guns and references to a school shooting. When questioned last year, Gray, then 13, denied the accusations. His father mentioned that there were hunting guns in the house, but Colt did not have unsupervised access to them.
At the time, there was no probable cause to arrest him and schools were simply alerted to monitor his behavior.
The weapon used in the attack was reported to be an assault-style rifle, but details about how Gray obtained the weapon and brought it into the school remain under investigation.
Law enforcement officials including the Barrow County Sheriff’s Department and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) are working together to understand the full circumstances that led to the attack.
All schools in the Barrow County School System went into lockdown, though no other incidents were reported. Schools in the county are scheduled to remain closed for the remainder of the week as the investigation continues.
Apalachee High School is part of the Barrow County School System, which serves over 15,000 students including the 1,932 enrolled at Apalachee.
With a population of approximately 18,000 people, Winder, Georgia is now dealing with the aftermath of this event.
According to data compiled by the Associated Press and USA Today in collaboration with Northeastern University, In 2024 alone, 29 mass killings had occurred before the Apalachee High School incident, with at least 127 lives lost.
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