Georgia High School Shooting: Suspect Charged With Four Felony Murder Counts

Georgia High School shooter, a 14-year-old student from Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, has been charged with four counts of felony murder following an incident at the school on Wednesday, as reported by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

The shooting resulted in the deaths of four individuals and injuries to nine others, all of whom are expected to recover, according to Barrow County officials. Authorities are investigating potential motives for the suspect, who was taken to a youth detention center in Gainesville overnight and is scheduled to appear virtually in court on Friday morning.

Investigators to find how Georgia High School shooter acquired the semi-automatic AR-15 style rifle

In the upcoming days, investigators will explore how the shooter acquired the semi-automatic AR-15 style rifle believed to be used in the incident. They will also examine any possible connection to a previous incident in which the FBI interviewed the suspect, Colt Gray, following anonymous online threats of a school shooting. According to two law enforcement sources familiar with the case, Colt Gray’s father stated that the firearm used in the shooting was purchased as a holiday gift for his son in December 2023. This purchase occurred months after authorities had first engaged with Gray and his family regarding a threat.

Read More: Four Dead, Nine Injured In Mass Shooting at Apalachee High School, Georgia

Connection with Colt Gray

During the May 2023 interview, when Gray was 13, he reportedly denied making threats to shoot up a school, insisting that he would never make such statements, even jokingly, as noted by Jackson County sheriff’s investigator Daniel Miller Jr. At that time, Gray’s father, Colin Gray, informed investigators that while he had hunting rifles at home, Colt was only permitted to use them under supervision and did not have unrestricted access. The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office eventually closed the investigation due to the inability to substantiate the threat.

CNN has made multiple attempts to contact Colin Gray both by phone and in person at the family home, but it remains unclear whether he has legal representation.

Biden urges for stronger action

In response to the latest school shooting in the US, President Joe Biden urged Congress to take action on stricter gun control measures, addressing an issue his administration had previously struggled to advance. Speaking from a solar energy manufacturing site in Westby, Wisconsin, Biden expressed that the nation must not continue to accept the devastation caused by gun violence. As a gun owner who supports the Second Amendment, Biden emphasized the need for more than just thoughts and prayers.

Biden criticized Congressional Republicans, calling on them to join in addressing the issue, and advocated for a ban on assault weapons. He also called for enhanced background checks, the removal of legal immunity for gun manufacturers, and accountability for parents who allow their children to access firearms.

Georgia High School shoot victims

In the wake of the shooting at Apalachee High School in Georgia, which left four dead and nine injured, Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Chris Hosey confirmed that the victims included two students and two teachers. The suspect, identified as 14-year-old Colt Gray, a student at the school, was taken into custody and will face charges of murder. He is currently being held at the Gainesville Regional Youth Detention Center in Georgia. The victims were identified as Mason Schermerhorn, 14; Christian Angulo, 14; and teachers Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Christina Irimie, 53. Both Aspinwall and Irimie were math teachers according to the school’s website.

Also Read: USA: Unidentified Caller Threatened Shootings, Hours Before Georgia School Attack