WINDER, Ga. (AP) — Authorities in Barrow County have arrested a 14-year-old student on Wednesday for bringing a gun to Apalachee High School, the same Georgia school where a tragic shooting occurred in September resulting in the deaths of two teachers and two students, as well as injuries to several others.
According to the Barrow County Sheriff’s Office, the school resource officers took the boy into custody “without incident” on Wednesday afternoon at the school located in Winder, approximately 40 miles northeast of Atlanta. Deputies mentioned that the student cooperated with law enforcement and there were no reports of any threats made by the student with the firearm.
The student, who remains unnamed due to being a minor, has been transferred to a juvenile detention center in Gainesville. Charges against him include two counts of possessing a weapon on school grounds, theft, and being a minor in possession of a gun. The authorities did not disclose the type of firearm that was confiscated. The arrest occurred shortly after 2 p.m. at the school, but details on the circumstances leading to the arrest were not provided.
In response to the incident, the Barrow County school district announced the cancellation of classes at the high school, which serves nearly 2,000 students and is situated around 45 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta.
The shooting on September 4 resulted in the tragic deaths of teachers Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Cristina Irimie, 53, as well as students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14. Additionally, another teacher and eight students sustained injuries, with seven of them being gunshot wounds.
Following the September shooting, Colt Gray, who was also 14 at the time, was charged as an adult and indicted on multiple counts including murder and aggravated assault at the high school. Gray pleaded not guilty to the charges. His father, Colin Gray, faced indictments on various counts, including second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter, alleging that he knowingly allowed his son access to weapons and ammunition despite being warned of potential harm. Colin Gray also entered a not guilty plea.
The district informed parents that classes were canceled on Thursday at Apalachee High School and on-campus extracurricular activities were suspended. Additionally, an open house event to introduce new portable classrooms, replacing those in the section of the building where the shooting occurred, was also called off.
The recent arrest came after concerned students, teachers, and parents attended a Barrow County school board meeting urging the district to bolster security measures at Apalachee. Suggestions included additional school resource officers, mandatory clear backpacks for students, and investing in a computerized camera system utilizing artificial intelligence to detect guns.
Superintendent Dallas LeDuff addressed the meeting indicating that the district would share findings from a security survey later in the month and had engaged with school resource officers to discuss recommended security enhancements. “It has been a very intentional process,” said LeDuff, expressing pride.
