Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Chris Hosey announced at an evening news conference that the 14-year-old suspect in the deadly shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, will be booked Wednesday night. Colt Gray is expected to face murder charges related to the deaths of two students and two teachers.
The victims have been identified as 14-year-olds Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, along with Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Christina Irimie, 53. According to the school's website, Aspinwall was an assistant football coach, and both Aspinwall and Irimie were math teachers.
Gray, a student at Apalachee High School, will be processed as an adult in the court system, Hosey stated at an earlier press briefing.
Richard Aspinwall, Christina Irimie, Mason Schermerhorn, and Christian Angulo were the victims of the Apalachee High School shooting on September 4. (Photo: Apalachee High School/Family Photo/GoFundMe)
GBI Director Chris Hosey reported that the weapon used was an AR-platform firearm, while a law enforcement official previously described it as an AR-15-style weapon. The gunfire prompted a chaotic scene as students and faculty sought cover, schools across the county went into lockdown, and parents frantically tried to get information.
During the incident, 14-year-old Macey Right texted her mother, saying she heard gunshots and asked to be picked up. She and her friends held hands and prayed in their classroom. Macey described hearing gunshots and screams, with some students crying and shaking in fear.
Authorities reported that the first call about the active shooter came in at 10:20 a.m. ET. A school resource deputy at Apalachee High confronted the suspect, who complied and was taken into custody, according to Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith.
Lyela Sayarath, 16, revealed that the suspect sat next to her in algebra class. He left the class early without a pass, and she initially thought he was skipping. Later, the suspect was seen outside her classroom door, which was locked. A student who opened the door saw the gun and jumped back, leading the suspect to start shooting in the next classroom.
The shooting is the deadliest of the 45 school shootings this year, according to CNN's analysis, and one of 11 school shootings with four or more fatalities since 2008.
Authorities revealed that the suspect had been interviewed by local law enforcement in May 2023 following anonymous tips about threats to commit a school shooting. The suspect's father had reported that while he owned hunting guns, the suspect did not have unsupervised access to them. The FBI found no probable cause for arrest at that time.
The school had received a phone threat earlier that morning warning of shootings at five schools, including Apalachee High School. Investigations are ongoing, including whether the suspect had any connections to the victims. Schools in Barrow County will remain closed for the rest of the week.
In total, the U.S. has experienced at least 385 mass shootings this year, averaging more than 1.5 incidents daily, according to the Gun Violence Archive.
Erin Clark received alarming text messages from her son, Ethan Haney, a senior at Apalachee High School, who described hearing multiple gunshots and expressed fear. Clark rushed to the school, feeling "absolutely terrified" as she prayed for her son's safety.
As emergency responders arrived, video footage showed ambulances and a large police presence at the school. Students were gathered on the football field, where they formed a prayer circle. Hospitals, including Grady Health System and Piedmont Athens Regional Hospital, received gunshot victims, with some patients flown to trauma centers.
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