Officials identified two students and two teachers who tragically lost their lives in a mass shooting at Apalachee High School on Wednesday morning.
Students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14, and teachers Christina Irimie and Richard Aspinwall were named by authorities at a Wednesday night press conference.
Schermerhorn’s family said he was an autistic student at the school, with a loved one saying after his passing it is ‘sad we can’t even send our babies to school and them be safe.’
Another loved one said: ‘Beautiful Mason we are so sorry! (America) failed you… Hug your children!’
‘I’m TIRED of texting I Love You’s to my kids at school when this repeatedly happens,’ they said. ‘I’m tired of everyone’s ‘thoughts and prayers’ with NO ACTION.’
Mason Schermerhorn, 14, an autistic student at Apalachee High School, was the first victim to be identified. He was among four people killed in the mass shooting
Teacher Richard Aspinwall was named as one of the four victims of the shooting
Teacher Christina Irimie was also identified as a victim
Student Christian Angulo, 14, also lost his life in the senseless shooting
Gray, 14, injured at least nine others in the horror shooting in Winder, Georgia. Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith said Gray immediately surrendered when confronted by law enforcement, and ‘gave up and got on the ground.’
Special education teacher David Phenix was the first to be pictured. Phenix was shot in the hip and foot, but survived the tragedy.
Officials have not yet offered any identification on the other three individuals that were shot dead, and said there is no early indication that they were targeted specifically, although the investigation is ongoing.
It is unclear how the 14-year-old gunman got ahold of the weapon that was used in the attack, and authorities have not yet said what kind of firearm was used.
Following his arrest, Gray will be charged with murder and will be tried as an adult, the Director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said.
According to law enforcement, Gray opened fire at approximately 10:23am, hitting at least 13 people as frantic scenes took over the school.
Images showed students streaming out onto the campus as terrified parents raced to find their children, with one mother describing the scene outside the school as pure ‘chaos.’
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A huge police presence descended on Apaleechee High School in Winder, Georgia on Wednesday after at least 13 people were shot, four fatally
Horrific details from inside classrooms have emerged – depicting the chilling chaos students endured as gunshots rang out this morning
A junior at the school, Lyela Sayerath, said she was sat next to Colt Gray in algebra class minutes before he began the shooting spree.
She told CNN that Colt left the classroom at the beginning of their class at 9:45am, around half an hour before active shooter alerts sounded.
Gray didn’t take a bathroom pass, she said, leading her to initially think he was merely skipping class – before a loudspeaker announcement told teachers to check their emails.
Shortly after, Sayerath said Gray returned outside their classroom, and a student got up to open the door for him before jumping back at the sight of his gun.
‘I guess he saw we weren’t going to let him in. And I guess the classroom next to me, their door was open, so I think he just started shooting in the classroom,’ she said.
Sayerath said Gray proceeded to fire off a number of bullets ‘one after another’, adding: ‘When we heard it, most people just dropped to the floor and like kind of crawled in an area like piled on top of each other.’
A junior at the school, Lyela Sayerath, said she was sat next to Colt Gray in algebra class minutes before he began the shooting spree
One mother described the scenes outside the high school as ‘chaos’
Sayerath said her friend was in the next classroom and witnessed someone being shot, which left him ‘shaken up’. ‘He saw somebody get shot. He had blood on him. He was kinda limping. He looked horrified,’ she added.
As information floods in on the school shooting – officially the deadliest in Georgia’s history – students and parents shared their shock at the horror that unfolded.
One mother, Erin Clark, shared the text exchange she had with her son Ethan from the moment he learned there was an active shooter at his school.
He wrote: ‘school shooting rn (right now). I’m scared. I’m not joking.’
His mom responded instantly, assuring him that she was leaving work. In a heartbreaking response, Ethan wrote: ‘I love you.’
‘Love you too baby. Where are you?’ Clark said. Ethan told her that he was in class, adding ‘someone’s dead.’
Many students filmed the aftermath, with one shaken grandfather revealing his granddaughters ‘were led out past blood and victims’ after the shooting.
‘They heard the shots, had SWAT come in guns drawn in their room looking for shooters,’ James Shappard said. ‘No kid should have to go through that.’
Heartbreaking messages between a student at Apalachee High School and his mom have revealed the moment kids learned there was an active shooter
The first victim of the shooting, special education teacher David Phenix, has been pictured. Phenix was shot in the hip and foot, but survived the tragedy
Sergio Caldera, 17, said he was in his senior chemistry class when he heard gunshots, and told ABC: ‘My teacher goes and opens the door to see what’s going on.
‘Another teacher comes running in and tells her to close the door because there’s an active shooter.’
Caldera said that his class heard chilling screams from outside as they ‘huddled up.’
Another 15-year-old child told Atlanta News First that his teacher immediately locked the door, and his classmates ducked down into a lockdown position when the gunfire broke out on Wednesday morning.
He said that he was concerned about his friends and classmates – since the gunshots sounded close to where he was hunkered down.
Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith said Gray immediately surrendered when confronted by law enforcement, and ‘gave up and got on the ground’
Terrified students said they heard screams from the hallway
Melanie, who is a student at Apalachee High School, revealed that a ‘code red’ announcement, along with a red flashing light, started going off in her classroom.
During drills, the light has never illuminated – which made her realize that the ordeal was real and serious, she told local reporters.
Her classmates immediately ducked into the corner of the room on the instruction of their teacher, who turned off the classroom light.
Melanie said that many of her friends did not have cell service, but she did – so she texted her own family before letting her other classmates message their parents off of her phone.
And 14-year-old Camille Nelms told WXIA the gunman entered her classroom.
‘I was crying. I didn’t want to die that way,’ she said.