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Officials name Georgia high school shooting victims, say AR platform-style weapon used
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation says that two students and two teachers were killed in a shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, on Wednesday morning.
A news conference on Wednesday night said that the two teachers who died were Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Christina Irimie, 53. It was established that students Mason Schermerhorn, 14, and Christian Angulo, also 14, were also killed.
The GBI said earlier in the day that eight kids and one teacher were among the nine people who were hurt in the shooting and taken to hospitals.
The suspect, Colt Gray, 14, a student at Apalachee High School, was quickly found by police. He voluntarily turned himself in and was immediately arrested, according to the GBI. The GBI said he will be tried as an adult and charged with murder. An source said that Gray was going to be booked on Wednesday night.
Authorities say it’s not clear if any of the victims were chosen.
Police chief Chris Hosey said at a meeting Wednesday night that an AR-platform-style weapon was used in the case.
A police officer who spoke at the news briefing said that the teachers’ identification had a panic button on it that let people know about the killing. He also said that they had those IDs for “about a week.”
Earlier Wednesday night, the FBI revealed on X that the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office had talked to Wednesday’s alleged shooting suspect in 2023 after getting a tip from the FBI.
“In May 2023, the FBI’s National Threat Operations Center received several anonymous tips about online threats to commit a school shooting at an unidentified location and time,” the FBI said. “Within 24 hours, the FBI determined the online post originated in Georgia and the FBI’s Atlanta Field Office referred the information to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office for action.”
Officials name Georgia high school shooting victims, say AR platform-style weapon used
It was also said that the sheriff’s office “found a possible subject, a 13-year-old male, and questioned him and his father.” The father said there were shooting guns in the house, but the subject could not get to them without being watched. The person denied making the online threats, according to the FBI.
It was reported that the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office “alerted” nearby schools about “monitoring” the teen. The FBI said in its post that there was no reasonable cause to arrest the teen.
“To confirm, the subject referred to as the 13 year old is the same subject in custody related to today’s shootings at Apalachee High School,” the FBI said in a post after that.
It is not too far from Jackson County to find Apalachee High School in southern Barrow County.
Hosey said Wednesday night that the police are aware that Family and Children Services had touch with the family before and are looking into it.
He also said that the high school teachers were heroes because they stopped a much worse disaster.
Parents and kids speak out
Diego Caldera, a senior who is 17 years old, said he heard gunshots while he was in chemistry class.
“My teacher opens the door to check on things.” “Another teacher runs in and tells her to shut the door because there is a shooter,” Caldera told ABC News.
He said the door was locked by his teacher, and everyone ran to the back of the room. According to Caldera, they heard screams from outside while they were “huddled up.”
Caldera said that someone slammed on the door to his classroom and yelled “Open up!” several times. That’s when Caldera said he heard more gunshots and yells.
He said that his class later ran to the football field to get away.
Kyson Stancion said he was in class when he heard gunshots and “heard police scream” telling someone, “Get down, get back in the classroom! There’s a shooting going on!”
He told ABC News, “I was scared because I’ve never been in a school shooting.”
“Everyone started to cry.” “My teacher did her best to keep everyone safe,” he said.
Jonathan Mills, Jayden’s dad, said he felt like he was on a “emotional roller coaster” as he and his wife rushed to the school to get their son.
Teenager Jayden’s parents told Mills it was “exhilarating” and “overwhelming” to hear that he was okay.
Mills, a police officer, said, “When you grow up in this area, you don’t think things like that will happen.”
“I have three kids.” “You never think about the fact that all three of them go to the same group of schools,” he said.
Winder is about 45 miles away from Atlanta.
The head of Barrow County Schools said that the schools will be closed until the end of the week.
Judge Jud Smith of Barrow County said the killing was “pure evil.”
Northeast Georgia Health System said that three people with shooting wounds that were not life-threatening were taken to its hospitals. It was also said that five people with anxiety and panic attacks came to its hospitals.
Leaders answer
From what the White House says, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were told about the killing.
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 in a tweet. Many schools across the country teach kids “duck and cover” instead of reading and writing. We just can’t keep taking this as normal.”
The president talked about what he has done to fight gun violence, such as making the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act a law and starting the first White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. He did say that more needed to be done, though.
“After decades of inaction, Republicans in Congress must finally say ‘enough is enough’ and work with Democrats to pass common-sense gun safety legislation,” he said. Assault weapons and high-capacity magazines must be banned again, guns must be stored safely, all people must go through background checks, and gun makers must no longer be immune from prosecution. These steps won’t bring back the people who were sadly killed today, but they will help keep more families from being torn apart by gun violence.
She told a crowd in New Hampshire, “Our hearts are with all the students, teachers, and their families.”
“This is just a senseless tragedy on top of so many senseless tragedies,” she stated. “We have to end this epidemic of gun violence.”
“This is one of the many issues that’s at stake in this election,” he said.
“Let us finally pass an assault weapons ban and universal background checks and red flag laws,” she added. “Saying that you either support the Second Amendment or want to take away everyone’s guns is not a choice.” I support the Second Amendment, and I know that our country needs sensible gun safety rules.
In Georgia, Gov. Kemp said he was “heartbroken.”
“This is a day every parent dreads, and Georgians everywhere will hug their children tighter this evening because of this painful event,” he said in a tweet. “We continue to work closely with local, state, and federal partners to make any and all resources available to help this community on this incredibly difficult day and in the days to come.”
A source told ABC News that Kemp cut short a speech he was going to give to the Republican Jewish Coalition in Las Vegas on Wednesday night so he could fly back to Georgia after the killing.
Officials name Georgia high school shooting victims, say AR platform-style weapon used
“Out of an abundance of caution,” Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said in a statement, police will “bolster patrols” around schools on Wednesday.
“My prayers are with the high school students, staff and families affected by the senseless act of violence,” he said.
Conclusion:
The tragic shooting at a Georgia high school has left the community in mourning as officials identified the victims and confirmed that an AR platform-style weapon was used in the attack. The incident has reignited debates about gun control, school safety, and the increasing frequency of gun violence in educational institutions across the United States.
Law enforcement is continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the shooting, aiming to provide answers and bring justice to the victims and their families. This heartbreaking event underscores the urgency for solutions to prevent such violence and protect students in the future.
FAQs:
- What weapon was used in the Georgia high school shooting?
- An AR platform-style weapon was used in the Georgia high school shooting.
- Have the victims of the Georgia high school shooting been identified?
- Yes, officials have identified the victims of the shooting, but specific names may vary depending on ongoing investigations and family notifications.
- How many victims were involved in the shooting?
- The exact number of victims depends on the official reports, but there were multiple casualties and injuries, as confirmed by authorities.
- What is an AR platform-style weapon?
- An AR platform-style weapon refers to a semi-automatic rifle, similar to the AR-15, commonly associated with mass shootings due to its rapid-fire capability.
- Is the shooter in custody?
- Information regarding the shooter’s arrest or custody status is part of the ongoing investigation, and updates are typically provided by law enforcement.
- What has been the community’s reaction to the shooting?
- The community is in shock and mourning, with many calling for stricter gun control measures and increased school safety to prevent future tragedies.
