GA School Shooting: Father Of Accused Gunman Also Charged With Murder

WINDER, GA — The father of the 14-year-old accused of fatally shooting two teachers and two students at Apalachee High School was charged Thursday with multiple crimes, including murder and manslaughter.

Authorities say Colt Gray used an AR-15 style weapon on Wednesday to fire multiple shots at Apalachee High School, killing four and sending nine other victims to the hospital. The teen has formally been charged on suspicion of four counts of felony murder.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation on Thursday evening said the suspect's father, Colin Gray, 54, has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder, four counts of involuntary manslaughter, and eight counts of cruelty to children.

At a news conference on Thursday night, GBI Director Chris Hosey said the charges against the elder Gray were “directly connected with the actions of his son and allowing him to possess a weapon,” The New York Times reported. Colin Gray reportedly owned several guns, including a military-style rifle like the one used in the attack at Apalachee High School.

Two relatives told the Times that Colt Gray had a difficult home life. “My grandson did what he did because of the environment that he lived in,” his grandfather, Charles Polhamus, told the newspaper.

Colt Gray is in the custody of Gainesville Regional Youth Detention Center and will have his first court appearance at 8:30 a.m. Friday. Gray will be charged as an adult, authorities said Wednesday.

The GBI Medical Examiner’s Office will perform autopsies on the deceased Thursday, authorities said.

The second day of the "complex investigation" remained active and ongoing, authorities said. The GBI requested "the public’s patience as we work to ensure a successful prosecution and justice for the victims."

The GBI previously said students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14, and teachers 39-year-old Richard Aspinwall and 53-year-old Christina Irimie were killed in the tragic shooting.

Additionally, eight students and a teacher were injured in the shooting, authorities said. Their conditions were not immediately known.

Gov. Brian Kemp on Thursday ordered flags to fly at half-staff to recognize the four people who lost their lives in the school shooting.

"As all Georgians continue to grieve with their families and community, I have ordered the flags on all state buildings to be lowered in honor of Richard Aspinwall, Christina Irimie, Christian Angulo and Mason Schermerhorn," Kemp said in a statement. "May we remember and commemorate their lives in all the days to come."

Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr said Barrow and the entire state have been "rocked by a senseless tragedy."

The Barrow County School System said it is focusing on the people who were injured and are hurting or grieving as the community comes together.

"We are here for our students, families and staff. In Barrow County, we strive to be Barrow bold, meaning we ask our students and staff to be courageous in all they do each day. We cannot thank the community and the entire State of Georgia enough for the outpouring of support we have received," school officials said in a statement sent to Patch.

Gray was accused of using an AR platform-style weapon in the deadly shooting, WSB-TV reported.

There were no additional shooters, and there was no list of schools being targeted, the GBI said.

Someone called in a threat to another local high school; but, the GBI said police determined no threat existed.

Christian Angulo

Abner Sanz told Fox 5 Atlanta that he was denial after learning about the death of his friend, Christian Angulo.

Lisette Angulo, who identified herself in a GoFundMe as the oldest sister of Christian Angulo, remembered her young brother as a "good kid" who was "very sweet and so caring."

"He was so loved by many. His loss was so sudden and unexpected. We are truly heartbroken. He really didn’t deserve this," Lisette Angulo said in the GoFundMe, which had raised more than $51,000 for funeral expenses as of early Thursday morning.

Family members told Fox 5 that Christian Angulo was a free spirit with a "chill" personality. He enjoyed making people laugh and had lots of energy, the family told the news outlet.

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Richard Aspinwall

According to Apalachee's staff directory, Aspinwall was a math teacher at the school.

Aspinwall was also the school's football defensive coordinator, Fox 5 reported.

Formerly, Aspinwall coached track and field and was the defensive coach at Mountain View High School in Lawrenceville, the Gwinnett Daily Post reported. His wife, Shayna, taught at Mountain View, the news outlet reported.

While at Mountain View, Aspinwall received the Touchdown Club of Gwinnett’s 2022 Tally Johnson Award as Assistant Coach of the Year, the Daily Post reported.

He was also previously a Dunwoody High School teacher, Fox 5 reported.

“Coach A was an amazing person,” Marquel Broughton, who was coached by Aspinwall at Mountain View, told the Daily Post. “He cared for the development of his student and his athletes. For me specifically, he believed in me when I didn't believe in myself. He pushed me to have high aspirations through the faith he had in me. His love was genuine, and his heart was pure. His legacy will forever live on through those he touched. Coach A will forever be known as a hero.”

The Mountain View athletics department expressed condolences in a Facebook post, shared alongside a photo of Aspinwall.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of former Mountain View High School teacher and coach Ricky Aspinwall, who lost his life at Apalachee High School today. Mountain View extends its deepest condolences to the entire Apalachee High School community. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all during this tragic time," the school wrote in the post.

A GoFundMe, started to benefit Aspinwall's family, had raised more than $100,000 as of early Thursday morning.

Mason Schermerhorn

A photo circulated social media Wednesday as family members searched for Schermerhorn, one of the students who died, shortly after the shooting. A Facebook post was later updated to share news of the teen's death.

Schermerhorn was "the sweetest most loving soul with the biggest smile," according to GoFundMe organizer Artisea Bethea.

The GoFundMe had raised at least $31,000 as of late Thursday morning.

Friends of the family told The New York Times that Schermerhorn was a "lighthearted teenager who liked spending time with his family, reading, telling jokes, playing video games and visiting Walt Disney World."

Doug Kilburn, a 40-year-old friend of Schermerhorn's friend, told the news outlet the young boy enjoyed life and exhibited an upbeat attitude.

When 45-year-old Louis Briscoe reportedly texted Schermerhorn's mother to ask if he was OK, she told him Schermerhorn had died.

“My heart just dropped,” Briscoe told The Times, adding “Nobody should have to go through this type of pain.”

Christina Irimie

Irimie taught math at Apalachee, according to the school's staff directory.

She immigrated from Romania some time ago and attended Saint Mary Romanian Orthodox Church in Dacula, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

Irimie was a wife who "dedicated her life to shaping the minds and hearts of students and the community," GoFundMe organizer Corneliu Caprar wrote.

The GoFundMe had raised at least $12,000 as of late Thursday morning.

“She’s a hero for us now,” pastor and friend Nicolae Clempus told the AJC. “She’s an example.”

Irimie enjoyed cooking, dancing and volunteering, the newspaper reported.

She had an "infectious laugh" and a member of the traditional Romanian dance group from the Transylvania region, the AJC reported. She also taught a children's dance group.

“She definitely had a gift to work with young people,” Clempus said in the AJC report.

Irimie spent time volunteering at Saints Constantine and Helen Church in Lilburn, friend Silvia Pasch told the AJC.

What Happened?

The events following the shooting swiftly unfolded after authorities arrived at the scene and ended with a teenage boy in police custody.

Authorities rushed to Apalachee around 10:30 a.m. after receiving reports of a shooting at the Haymon Morris Road school. Upon arrival, they encountered Gray, who they say then surrendered.

The school entered lockdown during the shooting, a protocol other Georgia school systems followed out of precaution. Security was also heightened at schools across the state in response to the Winder shooting.

A motive in the shooting has not been revealed. Barrow County schools are closed through Friday, Barrow County School Superintendent Dallas LeDuff said.

Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith at a news conference called the shooting "evil."

“This hits home for me, I was born and raised here, I went to this school system, my kids go to this school system," Smith said. "My heart hurts for these kids. I want to make it very clear that hate will not prevail in this county. Love will prevail over what happened today. I assure you of that.”

State and federal leaders used the shooting to urge for more gun control, calling recent school shootings "senseless" and declaring "enough is enough."

President Joe Biden advocated for congressional Republicans and Democrats to unite to pass gun safety legislation that bans assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, requires safe storage of firearms, enacts universal background checks and ends immunity for gun manufacturers.

The GBI is the lead agency in the shooting probe. Once the GBI's investigation is complete, the case file will be given to the Piedmont Judicial Circuit for prosecution.