Apalachee High School shooting: Here’s what we know a week later
ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - Wednesday marks a week since the Apalachee High School shooting, which killed four people and sent nine others to the hospital.
In those seven days, the suspect and his father have been arrested, the community has grieved, and advocates have renewed calls for gun control. Here’s everything we know about the shooting so far.
Who are the school shooting victims?
Two teachers and two students died in the shooting: Cristina Irimie, Richard Aspinwall and 14-year-olds Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo.
Cristina Irimie was a math teacher at the school. Her friend Gabrielle Buth described her as a “beautiful soul” who was dedicated to her students.
“That’s the thing about who Cristina was: She just absolutely loved her students. She loved them all,” she said. “That is who Cristina was as a teacher.”
Affectionately known as “Coach A,” Aspinwall was also a math teacher and the school’s assistant football coach. On Sunday, the community gathered at the Flowery Branch High School football stadium to celebrate his life.
“His life ended too short, we all know that, but the years were good. Ricky was good,” Rev. Matt Lewis said during the service.
Schermerhorn was a beloved member of the school’s band, and Angulo’s sister said he had a “caring heart” in a letter read by a grief counselor during a vigil held by the City of Winder.
“Mason, he was funny. He really stayed to himself most of the time, but I sat right in front of him and we had conversations here and there. He used to share his snacks,” Apalachee High School freshman Marques Coleman, who attended the vigil, said. “Christian, he was funny, too. Always had the class laughing. They were just good kids. It should’ve never happened to them.”
What state are the survivors in?
Of the nine people hospitalized, seven were shot — including one adult and six students, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. All of them are expected to survive, and several have been released from the hospital.
What do we know about Colt Gray and Colin Gray?
The suspect in the shooting is Colt Gray, a 14-year-old student at Apalachee High School. He faces four counts of murder and will face more charges to for the injured, according to the Barrow County District Attorney’s Office.
Colin Gray, the suspect’s 54-year-old father, has also been arrested. He faces four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder and eight counts of cruelty to children. The father is accused of giving his son access to the AR-15-style rifle that was allegedly used in the shooting.
In 2023, the FBI received a tip about a school shooting threat on a social media website that was linked to the Grays’ former address. Body camera footage shows deputies questioning the two after tracking down their new home.
During the interview, Colin assured law enforcement that his son understood the seriousness of gun safety.
“I don’t know anything about him saying (expletive) like that. And I’m going to be mad as hell if he did. And then all the guns will go away. And they won’t be accessible to him,” Colin said to Dan Miller, an investigator with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office.
Meanwhile, Colt denied the claims several times.
“I don’t know. Maybe they misheard somebody else,” he said.
In the end, investigators didn’t find probable cause to arrest or charge Colt.
Colin’s arrest marks the second time in U.S. history that the parent of an alleged mass shooter has also faced charges. Jennifer and James Crumbley were each sentenced to at least 10 years in prison in April for involuntary manslaughter after their son shot and killed four people at Michigan’s Oxford High School in 2021.
What does the political landscape look like after the shooting?
The shooting has brought fresh calls for gun control on the local and state levels.
In a statement on Saturday, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens called for an assault weapons ban, universal background checks and safe storage requirements, among other measures.
“The violence in Winder wasn’t only caused by the actions of one deranged individual. They were aided by the intentional INACTION of policymakers throughout the government,” he wrote. “Unless we reduce access to guns by enacting commonsense legislation, the gun violence epidemic will continue to plague us, and worse, our children will continue to pay the price.”
Two days later on the U.S. Senate floor floor, Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock urged for bipartisan cooperation to address gun violence.
“We have to save the American people from this carnage,” Warnock said. “The American people are calling for change. This is a public safety issue.”
How can I donate to the victims and survivors?
GoFundMe has created a centralized page where you can find verified fundraisers benefitting victims and survivors of the shooting.
Several small businesses have also pitched in to raise money. A Winder flower shop is selling $10 bows, and a Flowery Branch boutique owner is selling T-shirts to help the community recover.
What comes next?
A grand jury has been emed for the case and will meet on Oct. 17. Meanwhile, Colt and Colin Gray’s preliminary hearings have been set for Dec. 4.
our Atlanta News First app for the latest details on the Apalachee High School shooting.
Copyright 2024 WANF. All rights reserved.
