A 14-year-old boy is accused of fatally shooting four individuals at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia. Prior to this tragic event, he was interrogated by law enforcement in May 2023 for making anonymous threats online, according to FBI sources.
The suspect, Colt Gray, had denied involvement in social media posts depicting firearms and warning of a potential school shooting.
In the incident on Wednesday, Gray allegedly opened fire at the school, resulting in the deaths of two teachers and two students, while nine others sustained injuries. He was promptly apprehended on school grounds and is set to face prosecution as an adult.
The victims have been identified as teachers Christina Irimie and Richard Aspinwall, along with 14-year-old students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angelo.
In a recent press conference, Chris Hosey, director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, confirmed the use of an “AR-platform style weapon” in the shooting.
The FBI’s National Threat Operations Center had previously alerted local law enforcement about the potential threats in May 2023, following anonymous tips regarding a possible school shooting.
Subsequent investigations traced the origin of these threats to Georgia within 24 hours of the alert.
According to the FBI, deputies had previously interviewed Gray and his father, who stated that the household contained hunting firearms, but the suspect did not have unsupervised access to them.
At that time, Gray, then 13, denied any connection to the online threats, prompting officials to monitor the situation without establishing grounds for further action.
Sheriff Jud Smith condemned the attack as “pure evil,” noting that authorities arrived on the scene within minutes of the 911 calls placed at 10:20 AM local time.
Officers assigned to the school quickly confronted the shooter, who surrendered without incident.
Law enforcement is still trying to determine a motive for the shooting, having no information on specific intended targets at this time.
Witnesses described chaotic scenes inside the school as alerts spread about the presence of an active shooter. With many students returning to school this week after summer break, tensions were already high.
One classmate, Lyela Sayarath, reported that the suspect stepped out of the classroom at the start of an algebra lesson. Upon returning and knocking on the door—which automatically locked—an alert student refused entry after spotting the firearm. The suspect then moved to the adjacent classroom to begin firing.
Marques Coleman, another student, recalled seeing the shooter brandishing a “big gun” before the gunfire erupted. “I got up and started running; he shot at least ten times,” he recounted.
In the aftermath, teachers barricaded doors with desks as chaos ensued, with students reporting seeing classmates injured in the attack.
A vigil was organized on Wednesday evening for the community of approximately 18,000 residents, located about 50 miles from Atlanta. City councilman Power Evans addressed the crowd, emphasizing the shared grief felt by all and the importance of community solidarity during this painful time.
