The suspect in The shooter at Appalachian High School in Winder, Georgia, has been identified as Colt Gray, a 14-year-old student at the school, Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Chris Hosie confirmed the news during a news conference, CNN reported.
Hosey said two teachers and two students were killed and nine others were injured and taken to hospitals. Hosey and Barrow County Sheriff Judd Smith said the suspect will be charged with murder and tried as an adult.
Authorities first received reports of an active shooter at 10:20 a.m. ET on Wednesday. CNN reported that multiple law enforcement officials said the high school had received a previous threatening phone call warning of shootings at five different schools and that Appalachia would be the first. Officials are investigating the call and do not know who made it, the network said.
All schools in the Barrow County School System, including Appalachian, were closed Wednesday.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp directed all available state resources to respond to the shooting in a statement posted on social media. The governor urged “all Georgians to join my family in praying for the safety of those in our classrooms, both in Barrow County and across the state.”
In a separate statement, Kemp wrote: “We continue to work closely with local, state and federal partners to provide whatever resources are available to assist this community on this very difficult day and in the days to come.”
“The FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms are on the scene, working with state, local and federal partners,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said during a meeting of the Justice Department’s Election Threat Task Force.
“I am deeply saddened by the families affected by this terrible tragedy,” Garland added.
The White House released a statement from President Joe Biden, who wrote: “What was supposed to be a joyful back-to-school season in Winder, Georgia, has turned into yet another horrific reminder of how gun violence continues to tear apart our communities. Students across the country are learning to cower and hide instead of reading and writing. We cannot continue to accept this as normal.
The president called on Republicans in Congress to “finally say enough is enough, and work with Democrats to pass sound gun safety legislation.”
“We must once again ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, mandate safe gun storage, require universal background checks, and end immunity for gun manufacturers. These measures will not bring back those tragically killed today, but they will help prevent more tragic gun violence that tears apart more families,” he continued.
This is an evolving story…
