The Georgia Bureau of Investigation identified the suspect in a Georgia high school shooting as 14-year-old student Colt Gray.
The agency confirmed four casualties and nine hospitalized after a mass shooting at Apalachee High School on Wednesday morning. Gray is in custody, and he will be charged with murder and tried as an adult.
Two students and two teachers were killed in the shooting.
Lyela Sayarath, a junior at Apalachee High School, told CNN she was sitting next to Gray before the shooting. She said he left the classroom at the beginning of their algebra class. He later returned but, according to Lyela, couldn’t re-enter the locked classroom.
Instead, he went into the next classroom and began shooting, she said. She later saw one of her friends from that classroom with “blood on him.”
Timeline of Events
Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith said during a press conference this afternoon the shooting was first reported at 9:30 a.m.
At a later conference, GBI director Chris Hosey said the sheriff’s office received alerts about reports of an active shooter at 10:20 a.m.
Officers located the suspect “immediately,” Hosey said. The suspect then surrendered to law enforcement.
“Law enforcement had a very, very swift response to this incident,” Hosey said.
Smith called the shooting an “evil thing” and said the investigation is “active and ever-developing.”
Gray was interviewed by investigators after being taken into custody, Smith said.
“Reports that the suspect has been ‘neutralized’ are inaccurate,” the GBI said on X.
Smith said law enforcement and school officials are reuniting students with their parents.
Students Share Terrifying Moments
Julie Sandoval described hearing five gunshots next to her. She hid in a corner with several other classmates until police burst through the door.
“I started shaking a lot and that’s when I started crying as well. I was trying to text a lot of my friends but unfortunately, everything was down,” Sandoval told CNN.
She said she texted her parents to tell them she loves them. She was also worried about her sister, who is also a student at the school.
Lyela Sayarath, a student who was in Algebra class, was sitting right next to Gray when he asked to leave the classroom. He returned with a gun.
“I just remember the moment that it happened. He was at the door and they almost let him in,” Sayarath told CNN.
She said Gray was quiet and shy, typically only speaking in one-word responses.
Laila Fohrman said she thought she “was going to die.”
Elected Officials Respond
President Joe Biden was briefed on the situation by Homeland Security Advisor, Liz Sherwood-Randall. He later released a statement on the incident.
“Jill and I are mourning the deaths of those whose lives were cut short due to more senseless gun violence and thinking of all of the survivors whose lives are forever changed,” Biden said. “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. 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.”
The administration said it is coordinating with federal, state and local officials.
Biden also called for more legislation surrounding gun violence.
“Ending this gun violence epidemic is personal to me. It’s why I signed into law the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act – the most meaningful gun safety bill in decades – and have announced dozens of gun safety executive actions. I also established the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, overseen by Vice President Harris. We’ve made significant progress, but this crisis requires even more,” Biden said.
Vice President Kamala Harris was also briefed on the incident. She made a statement on the situation during her campaign event in New Hampshire.
“Our hearts are with all of the students, the teachers and their families of course and we are grateful for the first responders that were on the scene, but this is a senseless tragedy on top of so many senseless tragedies,” Harris said.
She also called for an end to gun violence.
“We got to stop it and we have to end this epidemic of gun violence in our country once and for all,” Harris said.
Former President Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social Platform, “Our hearts are with the victims and loved ones of those affected by the tragic event in Winder, GA. These cherished children were taken from us far too soon by a sick and deranged monster.”
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said his office is working with local, state and federal partners on X to help respond to the incident.
“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,” Kemp said.
The high School in Winder in Barrow County went on “hard lockdown” during the shooting. All other schools in the county were placed on lockdown as a “precautionary measure.”
The GBI said reports of shootings at other schools in the district are “false.”
Schools will remain closed for the remainder of the week as officials continue to investigate.
“Our central offices will remain open, where we will have grief counseling available for our community every day this week and thereafter, as we support each other through this terrible event,” Barrow County school superintendent Dr. Dallas LeDuff said.
A large police presence and at least five ambulances were observed at the school. Emergency responders were seen treating multiple individuals. One person was loaded into a helicopter to be taken to a hospital.
The lockdown was later lifted and parents were allowed to pick up their children.
The FBI division in Atlanta said it was aware of the incident on X.
“Our agents are on scene coordinating with and supporting local law enforcement,” FBI Atlanta said.
Students were evacuated to the school’s football stadium. Students were seen scattered throughout the field and some had formed a circle to pray.
The school previously sent a message to parents stating, “Apalachee High School is currently in a hard lockdown after reports of gunfire. Law enforcement is here. Please do not attempt to come to the school at this time while officers work to secure the area.”
Newsweek reached out to the Winder Police Department and Barrow County School System for more information.
Where is Apalachee High School?
The high school is located on Haymon Morris Road. There are around 1,900 students at the school in grades 9 through 12. It is one of two high schools in the Barrow County School District. It is home of the Winder-Barrow “Bulldogs.”
Winder is located about an hour from Atlanta. The town has a population of 18,338. It is the largest city in Barrow County.
Barrow county is the 29th largest county out of 159 counties total in the state. It has a population of 83,505.
