After a shooting at Georgia's Apalachee High School, which resulted in the deaths of four people, authorities arrested a 14-year-old suspect. The victims included two students and two teachers. The suspect, Colt Gray, was taken into custody and will be tried as an adult. The sheriff described the incident as "pure evil." The situation was chaotic as emergency services responded to the active shooter report.
Republican US presidential candidate Donald Trump called the shooter a "sick and deranged monster." On his Truth Social platform, the former president expressed his condolences, stating, "Our hearts are with the victims and loved ones of those affected by the tragic event in Winder, GA.
These cherished children were taken from us far too soon by a sick and deranged monster."
The White House has been briefed on the situation, and President Joe Biden’s administration is coordinating with local, state, and federal officials. The FBI field office in Atlanta has dispatched agents to support the local response.
Following the shooting, US president Joe Biden president said that the incident is another reminder of gun violence "tearing communities apart".
"What should have been a joyous back-to-school season in Winder, Georgia, has now turned into another horrific reminder of how gun violence continues to tear our communities apart," president Biden said, adding: "We cannot continue to accept this as normal."
Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris also called on the nation to address the "epidemic of gun violence" in the country. that continues to afflict the United States. Speaking , Harris emphasized the urgent need for action.
"We have to end this epidemic of gun violence in our country once and for all. It doesn't have to be this way," the Vice President said while speaking at a rally in New Hampshire.
Here's what we know so far:- Authorities received the first call about the active shooter around 9:30 a.m. local time.
- Injuries include gunshot wounds as well as trauma from the evacuation.
- Colt Gray, the shooter, surrendered to the police following the incident.
- Multiple law enforcement agencies and emergency services responded to the scene.
- Student Sergio Caldera described being in lockdown during the shooting and hearing gunfire.
- Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has mobilized state resources and called for prayers for those affected.
- The White House has been briefed, and President Biden’s administration is coordinating with local and federal officials.
- Students were evacuated to the football stadium as law enforcement responded.
- Eyewitnesses described hiding, barricading classrooms, and seeing injured students.
- The FBI is assisting local law enforcement with the investigation.
- The shooting is part of a larger pattern of mass killings in the US, with 29 incidents reported this year and 42 last year.
- Apalachee High School, which has about 1,900 students, remains under heightened security.