In the wake of a tragic shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, on September 4, where 14-year-old Colt Gray opened fire, Rabecca Sayarath, the mother of a student at the school, has voiced strong criticisms. The shooting resulted in the deaths of two teachers and two students, with nine others injured. Sayarath believes that the tragedy could have been prevented had proper steps been taken by school officials.
“They could have prevented these deaths and they didn’t,” Sayarath told the Associated Press. “The school failed them.”
Eyewitness Account and School Response
Rabecca Sayarath’s daughter, Lyela Sayarath, a junior at Apalachee High, was in the classroom with Gray just before the shooting began. According to Lyela, Gray was a quiet student who often skipped school or classes. Moments before the shooting, Gray had left the math class where Lyela was seated. A female administrator subsequently came to the classroom looking for a student with a similar name to Gray, but the student in question was in the bathroom at the time.
When the student returned, the administrator checked his bag and determined he was not the person she was searching for. As the intercom buzzed, requesting Gray, the teacher saw him outside the classroom and acknowledged his presence. Shortly after, Lyela witnessed Gray turning away from the door before hearing gunshots, indicating that Gray had moved to another classroom and opened fire.
Criticism of School’s Handling of the Situation
Rabecca Sayarath has criticized the school’s response to the incident, particularly the decision to send an unarmed administrator in search of Gray. She contends that an armed school resource officer should have been dispatched instead. Sayarath mentioned that she questioned Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith about the handling of the situation during a news conference. Smith reportedly responded, “With all due respect, ma’am, I think your information is incorrect.”
Legal Proceedings and Victim Identification
Colt Gray has been charged with four counts of murder. Although he is being tried as an adult, he will not face the death penalty due to his age. The victims of the shooting have been identified as math teachers Richard Aspinwall and Christina Irimie, and students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both aged 14.
