Four Dead, Nine Hospitalized in Georgia High School Shooting

A tragic shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, on Wednesday morning left four people dead and nine others hospitalized, according to officials.

The suspected gunman, identified as 14-year-old Colt Gray, a student at the high school, is now in custody. The community of Winder, located about an hour outside of Atlanta, is reeling from the incident as law enforcement continues to investigate the motive behind the attack. Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith cautioned that it may take “multiple days” to gather all the necessary information.

What We Know So Far:

The Suspected Shooter and the Victims:

Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Chris Hosey confirmed that two students and two teachers were killed in the shooting. Colt Gray, the 14-year-old suspected shooter, will be charged with murder and will be tried as an adult. Investigators have interviewed the suspect and have been in contact with his family. Sheriff Smith stated that there is no known connection between the shooter and the victims, though the investigation is still ongoing.

The Timeline:

The first reports of the shooting reached the sheriff’s department around 10:20 a.m., according to Director Hosey. Law enforcement, along with two school resource officers assigned to Apalachee High, arrived at the scene shortly afterward. The resource officers confronted Colt Gray, who immediately surrendered and was taken into custody.

A student, Lyela Sayarath, recounted that Colt had left their Algebra 1 class at the beginning of the period and returned near the end. When he knocked on the door to re-enter, another student noticed he had a gun and did not open the door. Colt then went to the neighboring classroom, where he opened fire.

The Response:

Attorney General Merrick Garland confirmed that the FBI and ATF are on the scene, working alongside local and state officials. Following the shooting, all schools in the district were placed on lockdown, and police were dispatched to all district high schools as a precaution. Fortunately, there were no reports of additional incidents.

Earlier that morning, Apalachee High School received a phone threat warning that shootings would occur at five schools, with Apalachee being the first.

Dallas LeDuff, superintendent of the Barrow County school system, announced that schools in the county will be closed for the remainder of the week while the investigation continues.

Via CNN Live