What to know about the shooting at Apalachee High School.
A shooting took place at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia the morning of Sept. 4, killing four and injuring nine others.
Authorities responded promptly and the shooter was arrested after cooperating with the school resource officer.
The morning of the shooting, Apalachee High School received a phone threat, saying that there would be shootings at five different schools, and Apalachee would be the first.
Four people were killed in the shooting, including two students and two teachers, one of whom was the school football team’s defensive coordinator. Additionally, eight students and one teacher were injured and hospitalized, but all are expected to recover.
The shooter, a 14-year-old boy named Colt Gray, will be charged with four counts of felony murder and tried as an adult. He’s expected to appear in court virtually on Sept. 6 and is currently being held in a youth detention center in Gainesville, Georgia.
Just last year, law enforcement spoke with Gray and his father, after the teen made online threats to commit a school shooting. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was tipped off about his behavior, and turned the situation over to local officials.
Gray’s father admitted to having hunting guns in their home, but explained that Colt did not have unsupervised access to them. The inquiry ended when law enforcement found that there was no probable cause for an arrest. Schools in the area, however, were made aware of the situation.
The role of Colt’s father, Colin Gray, has come under greater speculation as the investigation continues. It’s been revealed that Colin purchased the gun used in the shooting as a gift for Colt in December 2023, according to two law enforcement officers close to the case.
Colin Gray has been arrested and is charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder and eight counts of cruelty to children, according to the GBI.
The weapon used in the assault has been labeled an “AR-platform style weapon” according to Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) director, Chris Hosey.
Authorities are currently attempting to solve the key missing pieces of the case, namely Gray’s motives and the question of if he had any accomplices.
Schools in Barrow County, where Apalachee is designated, will be closed for the remainder of the week. Gwinnett County, which borders Barrow, will increase police presence near its public schools.
