On Sept. 4, a familiar headline reared its ugly head: Another Mass School Shooting in the United States of America.
At about 10:20 a.m. at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, authorities received alerts about reports of an active shooter, which was confirmed by radio chatter from a school resource officer. Within minutes, law enforcement arrived, and 14-year-old Colt Gray immediately surrendered himself and was taken into custody.
As a result of Gray’s actions, two Apalachee High School students and two teachers were killed in the incident. The deceased were: Mason Schermerhorn, 14; Christian Angulo, 14; Richard Aspinwall, 39; Cristina Irimie, 53.
Nine additional people, consisting of eight students and one teacher, were injured and taken to various hospitals. Colt Gray, age 14, has been arrested and charged with murder.
Colt Gray has been charged with four counts of Felony Murder, and will be tried as an adult. Also, his father Colin Gray, 54, was charged with four counts of Involuntary Manslaughter, two counts of Second Degree Murder, and eight counts of Cruelty to Children.
Reaction to the shooting was wide and swift. While many local and state officials gave their condolences, the most prominent replies came from federal leaders.
“Jill and I are mourning the deaths of those whose lives were cut short due to more senseless gun violence and thinking of all of the survivors whose lives are forever changed. 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. Students across the country are learning how to duck and cover instead of how to read and write. We cannot continue to accept this as normal,” said President Biden.
“We are closely coordinating with officials at the federal, state and local level, and are grateful for the first responders who brought the suspect into custody and prevented further loss of life.
“Ending this gun violence epidemic is personal to me. It’s why I signed into law the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act – the most meaningful gun safety bill in decades – and have announced dozens of gun safety executive actions. I also established the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, overseen by Vice President Harris. We’ve made significant progress, but this crisis requires even more.
“After decades of inaction, Republicans in Congress must finally say ‘enough is enough’ and work with Democrats to pass common-sense gun safety legislation. We must ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines once again, require safe storage of firearms, enact universal background checks, and end immunity for gun manufacturers. These measures will not bring those who were tragically killed today back, but it will help prevent more tragic gun violence from ripping more families apart.”
“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,” former President Trump posted on Truth Social.
