The suspect was a new student and was taken into custody a few minutes later.

Lina Portman5 days ago

0 1 minute read

The suspect was a new student and was taken into custody a few minutes later.

Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith said when he arrived at Apalachee High School yesterday, what he found was “carnage.”

“There was blood everywhere. You could smell gunpowder. A lot of screaming, yelling, a bit of chaos.”

Two school officers were on duty, as well as a sergeant who was on scene and immediately responded to the suspect's calls. Smith said he “couldn't be more proud” of those officers, EMS, firefighters, and the “hero” teachers who lost their lives protecting students.

Speaking about the first responders, he said, “They backed into the building, loaded the kids, put tourniquets on people, and all nine people who were injured are alive today, and they hope to survive,” he said. Most of the injured have been released from the hospital, and two or three need more time to recover.

“We are very sad and we address the families of the four victims who were killed and murdered. That is what it is: murder. But we are happy that we were able to prevent more from happening,” he said.

He noted that the sheriff's office conducted an active shooter drill last school year at a local middle school.

“Emotionally, it's tough because I feel like Colt Gray moved here, he took advantage of the system and thought he could get away with it and didn't,” Smith said of the 14-year-old shooting suspect, who was new to the school.

Calling the teenager an “evil person,” the sheriff added: “But like I said, love is going to prevail over what happened, and I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure that happens.”