In a tragic incident that has shaken the community of Winder, Georgia, a 14-year-old student, Colt Gray, is suspected of opening fire at Apalachee High School, resulting in the death of four individuals.
The victims included two teachers, Richard Aspinwall and Christina Irimie, and two students, Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, also 14. This shocking event has brought to light that Gray had previously been on the radar of law enforcement for allegedly threatening to carry out a school shooting.
According to The Independent, Gray was questioned by the police in May 2023 over internet posts that contained images of guns, as stated by the FBI. Gray reportedly denied being behind the posts, and his father confirmed the presence of hunting guns in their home but assured that his then 13-year-old son did not have unsupervised access to them. A year later, Gray stands accused of executing a mass shooting at his school using an AR-style rifle.
The aftermath of the shooting has seen an outpouring of support for the victims' families. A GoFundMe account set up for Richard Aspinwall, a beloved math teacher, has received donations from over 800 people, amounting to $59,400 at the time of writing. Another GoFundMe page, set up for Christian Angulo, has received $37,900. These funds aim to assist with funeral costs and provide support to the bereaved families.
Ariel Bowling, a sophomore student at Apalachee High School and a student of the late Richard Aspinwall, shared her harrowing experience. She was heading towards a vending machine with a friend when the gunfire began. The students rushed back to the classroom and huddled together. "I saw a deceased body on the floor; it was like covered up. And I saw a female with a shot wound to her leg, and it was like a really traumatic experience," she recounted. Bowling remembered Aspinwall as a "kind-hearted man" who was "really hardworking and had the most kindest soul ever."
The incident has also brought to light the close call of a student who sat next to Gray in class that day. The student described Gray as 'quiet,' saying he 'never really talked' and often skipped class. The school's staff was able to alert authorities quickly using a panic button system installed just a week prior to the incident. Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith confirmed that the system, called Centegix CrisisAlert ID, was used to notify officials for a swift response.
The tragic event has sparked a wave of tributes for the victims. Stephen Kreyenbuhl, a social studies teacher at Apalachee High School, described the horrifying scene that unfolded. "Pop, then pause, then six shots, pop-pop-pop-pop-pop-pop," he recalled. "My students were on the ground... Some crying, some consoling, some swearing." The full extent of the horror became clear when the lockdown was lifted, and his class was ushered down the schools hallway. "It was terrible," Kreyenbuhl said. "I saw a pool of blood when we passed [a] classroom where the shooting was."
The incident has also led to scrutiny of Georgia's gun laws. Despite the state preventing minors from owning guns, there are few restrictions for adults seeking to carry. The FBI had previously investigated Gray in 2023 for alleged online threats to commit a school shooting, but the probe did not result in any arrests. This tragic event underscores the urgent need for a comprehensive review of gun control measures to prevent such incidents in the future.
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