During a press conference by the GBI, it was revealed that 2 teachers and 2 students were killed during the shooting at Apalachee High School on Wednesday morning. The FBI also released the suspect’s name – 14-year-old Colt Gray, a student at the high school.
The GBI did not release the names of the deceased or give any other information about the victims.
According to the GBI, the Barrow County Sheriff’s Office began receiving calls at around 10:20 a.m. Officers responded to the high school within minutes and almost immediately encountered the suspected shooter, who dropped his weapon and surrendered immediately.
"Obviously the shooter was armed and our school resource officer engaged him and the shooter quickly realized that if he did not give up, that it would end with an OIS — an officer-involved shooting," Smith said.
According to Sheriff Jud Smith, the shooter has already been interviewed. Smith said that he is not aware of any connection between the student and the victims, but they are looking into all aspects surrounding the incident.
The GBI says that their priority is to gather all the facts and make sure they are accurate. The GBI says there is much work to be done, including collecting evidence and conducting interviews. Another press conference will be held in a couple of hours, according to officials.
The GBI also extended its sympathy to the families and community that are impacted.
The school will be closed for the remainder of the week.
ORIGINAL STORY
Four people were killed, and nine others were injured in a shooting Wednesday morning at Apalachee High School in Winder, Barrow County, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI). The suspect is alive and in custody, GBI says.
Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith confirmed during a brief news conference that multiple law enforcement agencies responded to the school following reports of an active shooter at 10:30 a.m. The FBI and GBI are involved in the investigation.
Law enforcement is scheduled to give an update at 4:30 p.m. FOX 5 Atlanta will livestream the press conference.
The school was cleared by 11:30 a.m., and students were released to their families. Winder-Barrow High School was also briefly placed on lockdown as a precaution, though no threat was found.
The White House confirmed President Joe Biden has been briefed on the shooting by Homeland Security Advisor, Liz Sherwood-Randall. They say his administration is coordinating with federal, state, and local officials.
The White House also confirmed that prior to departing Joint Base Andrews, Vice President Harris was briefed on the tragic shooting. The Harris campaign says the vice president is expected to address the shooting at the top of her remarks at the brewery stop in New Hampshire.
Gov. Brian Kemp issued a statement on X:
According to U.S. News & World Report, there are approximately 1,900 students enrolled at the school. It is one of two high schools in the Barrow County Public Schools district. The school is located about 40 miles northeast of Atlanta.