A tragic shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, resulted in the deaths of two students and two teachers, with nine others injured.
This incident marks the first major campus shooting of the school year in the United States.
The suspect, 14-year-old Colt Gray, was apprehended shortly after the attack.
Gray, who had been previously investigated by law enforcement for online threats related to a school shooting, will be charged as an adult, according to Chris Hosey of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
The suspect, armed with a semiautomatic rifle, surrendered quickly when confronted by school deputies.
The victims include 14-year-old students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, and teachers Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Christina Irimie, 53.
All nine individuals who were hospitalized are expected to recover.
Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith described the incident as “pure evil.”
The FBI revealed that it had looked into online threats made by a 13-year-old last year, which were linked to the current case.
Although the threats prompted a local investigation and alerts to schools, there was no arrest due to insufficient evidence.
This shooting has reignited the national conversation on gun control and prompted an outpouring of grief.
In Winder, a small city about 50 miles northeast of Atlanta, residents gathered for a prayer vigil to mourn the victims.
City Councilman Power Evans emphasized community solidarity, stating, “We are all family.
We’re all neighbors.”
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris both condemned the shooting and called for stricter gun safety laws.
Former President Donald Trump also expressed his condolences, describing the shooter as a “sick and deranged monster.”
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp urged for a focus on the investigation and mourning rather than immediate policy discussions.
David Riedman of the K-12 School Shooting Database noted that this was the first planned school attack of the fall semester.
The U.S. has witnessed numerous school shootings in recent years, fueling ongoing debates about gun laws and the Second Amendment.
