A deadly school shooting took place in Winder, GA, on Sept 4. “Two students and two teachers were killed, and nine others injured,” according to NBC News.
The shooter, Colt Gray, opened fire in the school around 10:20 AM with an “AR platform-style weapon.” Gray quickly surrendered when officers confronted him and later confessed while getting booked at the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice.
Gray has had an interest in school shootings since the Parkland shooting back in 2018, according to NBC, and he has a history of making threats toward schools. In May 2023, both Gray and his father were investigated about threats Gray made on the social media app Discord about shooting up his old middle school according to CNN, but the investigation was later dropped.
Both Gray and his father, Colin Gray, have been arrested and arraigned in the Barrow County courtroom on Sept 6, 2024. Colt Gray is facing four counts of felony murder while Colin Gray is facing four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder and eight counts of cruelty to children.
Both sides of the political aisle have commented on the shooting, with Vice President Kamla Harris calling the shooting an “outrageous” and “senseless tragedy.”
President Joe Biden additionally called the shooting a “horrific reminder of how gun violence continues to tear our communities apart.”
Former president Donald Trump also sent his sympathy, posting on Truth Social: “Our hearts are with the victims and loved ones of those affected by the tragic event.”
Trump’s running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance, stated “I don’t like that [school shootings] are a fact of life,” at a rally hosted a few days after the shooting.
Despite the Apalachee High School shooting being the 45th school shooting of 2024, school shootings and safety were not a topic brought up during the most recent Presidential Debate between VP Harris and former president Trump. However, both candidates support the second amendment and background checks to varying degrees.
