Unraveled events: A message, a telephone conversation, and subsequent gunshots; fresh insights spark speculations over measures intended to forestall the Georgia school massacre.
The message Colt Gray sent to his mom before the most fatal school shooting in the USA this year, which occurred at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, was the trigger for Marcee Gray to contact the school about an unspoken crisis. She spoke with school counselor Charles Polhamus for about ten minutes, as reported by Colt's father to CNN. The call was placed at 9:50 a.m., and within thirty minutes, authorities were responding to an active shooting situation at the school. The text and call served as forewarners of the chaos and violence that was about to unfold. A teen used an assault-style rifle to take the lives of four individuals – two teachers and two students – before surrendering to the police. Seven more were left injured, and two additional students suffered from other wounds as per authorities. Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith stated that there were no prior warnings of potential threats. However, the call made by Colt's mother before the shooting has raised concerns about the school's and law enforcement's attempts to forestall the attack. Lisette Angulo, whose brother was killed during the attack, blamed the school and law enforcement for failing to prevent the tragedy, stating, "They knew of the situation beforehand, and didn't take proper action to prevent this tragedy from happening."
Once more, Apalachee High School received a warning that morning: an anonymous caller predicted that shootings would occur at five schools that day, with Apalachee being the first target. Around 9:45 a.m., during the second period, Colt Gray departed his Algebra 1 class. Lyela Sayarath, who sat beside him, stated, "He skips usually, so you never really know where he's going." Shortly after Gray left the classroom, a student with a similar name to Gray used the bathroom. When he returned to class, administrators removed him along with his backpack. The student informed Sayarath that the administrators were looking for the student seated beside her, not him.
The "student" the student was referring to was Gray. When Gray reemerged at the classroom door, Bri Jones was blocking his way. Jones, who had been taught by her mother never to open the door without looking first, glanced out and saw Gray pulling out a firearm. The teacher, unaware of the student's weapon, asked for the door to be opened. Jones intervened, and the shooter targeted her, her teacher, and someone in the hallway. He then commenced firing.
Apalachee High School has hesitated to comment on whether another student was mistakenly taken from the classroom during this incident. Rabecca Sayarath, Lyela's mother, expressed her outrage to the Associated Press, stating that the school had the opportunity to prevent these fatalities but failed to do so. "I truly, truly feel that way," she declared.
Cristina Irimie, a math teacher at Apalachee High School, was supposed to celebrate her 53rd birthday on August 24th with her students but never got to do so. Family friend Corneliu Caprar informed CNN that Irimie, an immigrant from Romania, was always cheerful and joyful in her adopted country. She had no biological children of her own, but she loved her students dearly and died protecting them in the shooting. Gabrielle Buth, a relative, described Irimie by saying, "That's just who she was – she would spring into action. She died for her children like any good mom would do, like a good teacher would do. She couldn't have her own, so these were her kids."
Hazel Biondi, a sophomore, was working on a math paper in her geometry class when she heard commotion outside. Her teacher, David Phenix, opened the door to investigate, and he was shot as a result. "The whole class ran to the back of the classroom, and that's when we realized that my teacher got shot, and then my other teacher tried to stop the bleeding," Hazel told CNN. Phenix managed to secure the door before collapsing to the ground, according to Hazel. "And then we heard more banging, and we thought (the shooter) was going to come back, so we turned off all the lights and got quiet," she said.
They remained in the dark, waiting for law enforcement to arrive, while their wounded teacher remained conscious. "He was still responding, and my other teacher kept asking him to talk, so we knew he was still alive," she said. Once the danger subsided, they had trouble leaving the classroom due to Phenix's body being placed in front of the entrance. "We had to walk by his blood, and that's a sight we did not want to see," she said. Phenix's daughter revealed in a Facebook post that he sustained injuries to his foot and hip during the incident. Despite this, his focus was on the well-being of others, according to Katie Phenix, who wrote, "After waking up, some of the first words out of his mouth were, 'Is everyone else OK?'"
Hazel Biondi's mom, Nicole Biondi, 34, shared with CNN that Phenix played a crucial role on a fateful day. "If Phenix hadn't closed that door..." she said, her voice quivering. She lauded him further in a Facebook post that day. "He saved my kid. He saved my universe," she wrote.
In another class, Richard Aspinwall, a math teacher and assistant football coach, was alerted to a commotion outside his room by Julie Woodson, a family friend, revealing to CNN in a statement.
Upon checking, he was hit by a bullet in his chest. His pupils tried desperately to aid him.
"His pupils hauled Ricky back into the classroom and utilized their own shirts to attempt to stanch the bleeding and save him," Woodson explained. "If he hadn't stepped out and absorbed the bullet ... who knows what would've ensued?"
Aspinwall, a 39-year-old father of two young girls, passed away from his wounds.
Two 14-year-olds, Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, students at the high school, were also lost in the shooting tragedy.
Law enforcement swarms the scene
The Barrow County Sheriff’s Office received notification about the shooting around 10:20 a.m. The week prior, teachers at the school had been given personal panic devices.
By 10:26 a.m., the assailant was apprehended.
When a school resource officer confronted Colt Gray, he promptly surrendered to the officer and was detained, authorities disclosed.
"I'm responsible," the perpetrator reportedly admitted to investigators.
Approximately midday, Georgia officials disseminated information about the shooting: "GBI has arrived at Apalachee H.S. in Barrow Co. due to a shooting. We have agents on site assisting local, state, & federal law enforcement regarding the investigation. One suspect in custody. We urge anyone in the vicinity to maintain a distance while authorities investigate. Updates to follow," the Georgia Bureau of Investigation posted via their channel.
Two days following the shooting, Colt Gray was brought before a Barrow County courtroom and charged with four counts of felony murder. He opted not to plead to the accusations leveled against him.
CNN reporters including Scott Glover, Keith Allen, Sara Smart, David Williams, Amir Vera, Sharif Paget, Caroll Alvarado, Isabel Rosales, Jaide Timm-Garcia, Raja Razek, and Lauren Mascarenhas contributed to this report.
The police arrived at Apalachee High School in response to the active shooting situation, a situation that was preceded by a warning call from Colt Gray's mother, expressing her concerns about an unspoken crisis.
During the incident, the students in Hazel Biondi's geometry class were deeply affected, with their teacher, David Phenix, being one of the victims. Phenix, a father of two, demonstrated selflessness by securing the door and ensuring his students' safety before collapsing.
