Georgia school shooting latest: Suspect Colt Gray quizzed in 2023 over online threats

Tributes are now pouring in for the four victims who were killed in a mass shooting at a Georgia high school.

Two students and two teachers died in the “senseless” violence after a gunman opened fire at Apalachee High School in Winder on Wednesday morning.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has now named the victims as Mason Schermerhorn, Christian Angulo, both 14, and teachers Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Christina Irimie, 53.

Rhian Lubin details what is currently known about them.

The FBI in 2023 investigated the principal suspect in today’s massacre in Georgia, after he allegedly made online threats to commit a school shooting.

Here’s what they said about the probe, which did not result in any arrests.

Apalachee High School in Barrow County, Georgia, is the latest school across the US to experience a mass shooting as part of the country’s gun violence epidemic, with four killed and scores injured on Wednesday morning.

Apalachee student Colt Gray, 14, has been named as the suspected shooter, and is alive and in custody, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

The shooting has prompted scrutiny of Georgia’s gun laws.

Josh Marcus takes a closer look at the state’s legislation.

On Wednesday morning Apalachee High School student Lyela Sayarath, 16, said she was in algebra class sat next to Colt Gray.

Hours later, Gray, the suspected gunman, allegedly opened fire on students and staff at the Winder, Georgia institution, killing four people and injuring a further nine.

“He was at the door and they almost let him in, until they backed up,” Sayarath told CNN describing the moments as gunfire began ringing out. “And then he turned away and that’s when you hear the first round of fire.”

She explained that their classroom doors lock automatically when closed, and when the suspected gunman couldn’t get back in, Gray allegedly set his sights on a neighboring classroom and began opening fire, Sayarath claimed.

“You hear about 10-15 rounds back to back,” she said. “As soon as they didn’t let him in, and you hear the gunshots, you kind of know.”

Students were said to have dropped to the floor and piled together. The teacher switched off the lights in order to obscure the alleged shooter’s visibility, Sayarath added.

A fundraiser set up to cover family costs after the death of Richard Aspinwall on Wednesday has surpassed $50,000 in just nine hours.

The math teacher was one of four victims – two staff and two teen students – gunned down at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, on Wednesday.

Suspect Colt Gray, 14, who allegedly opened fire with a AR-style rifle, was arrested at the scene and is being prosecuted as an adult, according to authorities.

A GoFundMe account set up to support Aspinwall’s family has seen donations pour in from more than 800 people, amounting to $50,300 at the time of writing.

“We are all in shock over the news that Ricky Aspinwall lost his life protecting his students. Please consider donating to help Shayna Aspinwall with expenses she will have to incur and to make sure her two precious babies are taken care of,” the person who set up the page, Juli Woodson, wrote.

“We love the Aspinwalls! Thank you in advance for helping!”

The sister of one of the four victims shot dead at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, has shared her heartbreak about the loss of her “sweet” and “caring” brother.

Christian Angulo, 14, was one of two students that was killed on Wednesday after suspected shooter Colt Gray, 14, allegedly opened fire using an AR-style rifle, according to authorities.

Now, Angulo’s older sister Lisette has spoken as she laments the loss of her “baby brother” on a GoFundMe page, set up late on Wednesday evening by the family to cover funeral costs. The Angulos’s fundraiser has received almost $33,000 from nearly 900 separate donations at the time of writing.

“Unfortunately my baby brother was one of the victims of the school shooting at Apalachee High School. He was only 14 years old. He was a very good kid and very sweet and so caring. He was so loved by many,” Lisette wrote. “His loss was so sudden and unexpected.. We are truly heartbroken.. He really didn’t deserve this.”

“We kindly ask if you could help us with any donations to help us with expenses for his funeral ceremony due to his loss being so sudden. We appreciate anything you can give. We also would appreciate any prayers at this time. Thank you.”

Barrow County Schools, a public school district based in Winder, Georgia, has announced the closure of all its institutions for the rest of the week in the aftermath of the deadly shooting at Apalachee High School on Wednesday.

Apalachee High School, also based in Winder, Georgia, is one of the schools that comes under the Barrow County School System (BCSS).

“School is canceled for all BCSS schools tomorrow, Thursday, Sept. 5 and Friday, Sept. 6, 2024,” an alert reads on Apalachee High School’s website. “We will offer crisis counselors at the Central Office during both days from 8am-4pm. Please visit 179 W. Athens Street in Winder to meet with them.”

The suspected gunman, 14-year-old student Colt Gray, allegedly opened fire at the Georgia high school using an AR-style rifle, leaving four people dead.

Students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both aged 14, and teachers Richard Aspinwall and Christina Irimie are among the deceased, according to GBI.

The US has suffered at least 385 mass shootings so far this year – an average of more than 1.5 each day – according to the Gun Violence Archive

The site defines mass shootings as those in which four or more victims are shot.

The 385 total mass shootings include Wednesday’s incident at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, in which at least four people were killed.