BARROW COUNTY, Ga. (TCN) — A 14-year-old male student was arrested after he allegedly opened fire at Apalachee High School, killing four and injuring multiple people.
Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Chris Hosey said in a news conference that on Wednesday, Sept. 4, at 10:20 a.m., the Barrow County Sheriff’s Office received alerts about an active shooter at the school. Deputies arrived within minutes and made contact with school resource officers, who “immediately encountered the subject within minutes of the report.”
The suspected shooter, Colt Gray, reportedly “immediately surrendered.” Gray is a student at Apalachee High School and has reportedly been speaking with investigators.
Hosey confirmed four people are deceased and nine were taken to local hospitals for injuries. The deceased victims include two students and two teachers.
Barrow County Jud Smith added that the nine hospitalized victims were all shot “in some capacity.”
In the news conference, Smith said the shooting “its home for me” because he grew up in Barrow County and attended the local schools, as do his children.
He said, “My heart hurts for these kids. My heart hurts for our community.”
Smith called the shooting “evil,” adding, “I want to make it very clear that hate will not prevail in this county. I want that to be very clear and known. Love will prevail over what happened today. I assure you of that.”
The investigation remains “very fluid” and active. Gray is being charged with murder and will be tried as an adult.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.