A 14-year-old boy, Colt Gray, is in custody after allegedly shooting and killing two students and two teachers at Apalachee High School in Winder, Barrow County, Georgia—about 50 miles from Atlanta. Despite his age, authorities have named Gray as the suspect and announced he will be tried as an adult, according to Chris Hosey, Director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
The shooting occurred just before 9:30 AM local time, prompting a massive response from multiple law enforcement agencies. The school was immediately placed on lockdown, which was lifted about an hour later, allowing students to be reunited with their families. Local TV footage showed parents lining up in cars outside the school while dozens of police officers swarmed the campus and students took shelter in the football stadium.
The investigation into the school shooting at Apalachee High School is still “very active,” with numerous interviews and extensive crime scene work remaining, said Chris Hosey, Director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Student Camille Nelms described the terrifying moment when the gunman opened fire on her classroom. “I was crying, I didn’t want to die that way,” Nelms told NBC affiliate WXIA of Atlanta. “I don’t want to meet the Lord that way.” As bullets tore through the room, Nelms, her teacher, and classmates tried to take shelter in a corner.
Another student, Jacob King, recalled he had dozed off in his world history class after morning football practice when he was jolted awake by about 10 gunshots. At first, he did not believe the shooting was real until he heard an officer yelling at someone to drop their weapon. As his class was evacuated, he saw officers shielding what appeared to be an injured student.
Ashley Enoh, whose brother is a senior at the school, was at home when she received a chilling text message from him: “Just so you know, I love you.”
When Ashley Enoh asked in the family group chat what was happening, her brother replied that there was a gunman at the school.
Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith described the shooting as “pure evil” and expressed deep sympathy for the affected community. “My heart hurts for these kids, my heart hurts for this community, but I want to make it clear: hate will not prevail in this county. Love will prevail,” he told reporters.
Sheriff Smith said the motive for the shooting remained unclear, and it was not yet known whether the victims were specifically targeted or if there was any connection between the gunman and the victims. “I don’t know why it happened, and we may never know,” he added.
Sheriff Jud Smith said the resource officer at Apalachee High School confronted the gunman, who “quickly realized that if he did not give up, it would end with an OIS—an Officer Involved Shooting.” The suspect then surrendered, got on the ground, and was taken into custody by the deputy. Sheriff Smith expressed gratitude to the other agencies that responded, stating they “prevented a much more tragic event from occurring.”
U.S. President Joe Biden said he and his wife, Jill, “are mourning the deaths,” and commented, “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.” He added, “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.”
President Biden urged Republicans to collaborate with Democrats to pass “common-sense gun safety legislation.”
As the situation developed, Governor Brian Kemp stated, “I have directed all available state resources to respond to the incident at Apalachee High School and urge all Georgians to join my family in praying for the safety of those in our classrooms, both in Barrow County and across the state.”
