According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (‘GBI’), the 14-year-old Georgia school shooting suspect has been charged with four counts of murder. Two students and two teachers were killed in the shooting on Wednesday at Apalachee High School in Winder, Ga, with nine others hospitalized with injuries
Per the Atlanta Journal, the suspect, Colt Gray, is set to appear in Barrow County Superior Court for his first appearance Friday morning. Per Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice spokesperson Glenn Allen, the 8:30 a.m. Friday hearing will be virtual. Gray is expected to be tried for murder as an adult in the mass shooting at Apalachee High School.
The GBI wrote on X: “Gray has been charged with 4 counts of felony murder in connection to the shooting at Apalachee HS yesterday. He was taken to the Gainesville RYDC. Additional charges are expected. Gray’s first appearance will be tomorrow morning at 8:30 a.m. — The investigation into the shooting at Apalachee HS is still active & ongoing. This is day 2 of a very complex investigation & the integrity of the case is paramount. We ask for the public’s patience as we work to ensure a successful prosecution & justice for the victims.”
The GBI has identified those killed as 14-year-old students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, math teacher and assistant football coach RIchard “Ricky” Aspinwall, 39, and math teacher Christina Irimie, 53. The nine wounded victims were expected to recover.
The FBI said that the teenage suspect, who used an AR-style weapon in the shooting, surrendered immediately and was taken into custody within minutes. On Thursday night he was taken to a youth detention center in Gainesville. Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith said that the suspect was a new student at the school, having only been there for a partial day; the day of the shooting was his first full day at the school. Gray was previously investigated in May 2023 after anonymous tips regarding threats he allegedly made to commit a school shooting. At the time, Gray denied making the online threats and the FBI said there was no legal basis for charging him for any crime.
During the shooting, the school used a new Crisis Alert System made by the Atlanta-based private company Centegix. In that system, teachers wear badges with the ability to press a button to notify law enforcement if a shooting is happening.
GBI Director Chris Hosey said that investigators are looking into how Gray got the weapon he allegedly used in the school shooting and are also looking for a possible motive. Hosey added that investigators know about previous contacts between Gray’s family and the state’s Department of Children and Family Services, and are also looking into that.
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