Who is Colt Gray, 14-year-old accused in Georgia school shooting
Colt Gray, a 14-year-old student at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, has been identified as the suspect in a deadly school shooting that occurred on Wednesday. The incident resulted in four fatalities and nine injuries. According to Chris Hosey, Director owf the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), Gray will be charged as an adult for his alleged involvement in this tragic event.
Victims identified, suspect's behavior described by classmate
The victims of the shooting were two 14-year-old male students and two teachers. Family members identified one of the deceased students as Mason Schermerhorn, an autistic child. The other victims were later named as teachers Christina Emery and Richard Aspinwall, along with student Kristen Angolo. A classmate of Gray's at Apalachee High School described him as "quiet" and known to frequently "skip class."
Gray fit the description of a shooter, says classmate
She told CNN that she was not surprised that Gray was behind the shooting. The student who claimed to have been seated next to Gray in class right before the shooting recalled that he had left the room at approximately 9:45am. At the time, she assumed he was skipping class because he did not take his toilet pass. "He wasn't there most times...Even what he...talked it would...just been one word answers or just shot statements," the student said.
Suspect's past investigation and warning call
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) disclosed that they had previously investigated Gray in May 2023 for allegedly making online threats about a school shooting. However, no legal action was taken due to lack of "probable cause." On the day of the incident, a warning call was received about potential shootings at five schools, the first of which was Apalachee. The caller's identity remains unknown, and officials are investigating the call and its origin.
Investigation underway, motive still unclear
Gray is expected to appear in court in the coming days. Barrow County schools will be closed for the remainder of the week, but the school system's offices will stay open to assist individuals affected by the tragedy. The shooting was the country's 30th mass killing this year, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in collaboration with Northeastern University.
