BARROW COUNTY – A shooting that took place at Apalachee High School has left four people dead and at least nine people injured, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI).
The shooting took place Wednesday morning at approximately 10:20 a.m., around 40 miles away from Newton County.
According to a GBI spokesperson, two of the deceased are students and two are teachers.
David Phenix – a special education teacher and coach at the school – is the only victim identified in the shooting as of 4:30 p.m. on Sept. 4. Phenix was injured and is in “stable condition.” He was formerly a teacher in Walton County.
The suspect is in custody and has been identified as 14-year-old Colt Gray, a student at Apalachee High School. He has been officially charged with murder and will be tried as an adult.
On a local level, Newton County Schools (NCS) entered a preventative lockdown around 1 p.m. today as a precaution. The lockdown was lifted around two hours later.
NCS has since issued a statement on the tragic incident.
"The Newton County Schools Board of Education extends sincere condolences to our friends in Barrow County, Georgia. Today's tragedy is unspeakable and we are devastated by the news that lives were lost as a result of reprehensible violence visited upon Apalachee High School.
"In the days and weeks that follow, we will keep our colleagues and dear friends in our prayers, and we stand ready to provide whatever assistance or support may be needed."
Spokesperson from the Newton County Sheriff’s Office (NCSO), Caitlin Jett, told The Covington News that the NCSO sent units to the scene, but have since returned to the county. Sheriff Ezell Brown has been in contact with Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith.
Representative of the 10th congressional district Mike Collins also shared his thoughts via his X account.
"Leigh Ann and I are praying for the victims, their families, and all students at Apalachee High School in Barrow County. We extend our gratitude to law enforcement for their swift action to secure the school and get the shooter in custody. I have spoken with Sheriff Smith and told him my team and I are available to assist in any way necessary. We will continue to monitor and provide updates as prudent."
Lexy Doherty, the opponent against Collins in the upcoming November election, also released a statement.
“I am deeply saddened by the tragedy at Apalachee High School in Barrow County. My heart goes out to the victims, their families, and the entire Apalachee community. I commend law enforcement and our medical community for their heroic work in limiting the senseless destruction visited on those innocent children.
“My anger only grows toward people in power who actively work to ensure that more and more weapons find their way into the hands of those intent on terror. After the Biden administration finally closed the "gun show loophole" this year, Congressman Collins was an eager sponsor of Representative Andrew Clyde's bill to stop the new law requiring background checks at gun shows and other sites of unregulated sale.
“Reasonable people are merely asking for the most basic regulations on guns. But with each new tragic slaughter of our precious American children, it becomes clearer that a hardline faction of our political class is perfectly willing to accept these massacres as a cost of maintaining unregulated access to weapons of war.”
