Authorities have identified the four victims killed during a high school shooting in Georgia on Wednesday.
Two students and two teachers were killed at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia on Wednesday (September 4) after an alleged 14-year-old suspect named Colt Gray opened fire with an AR-15-style weapon, as reported by The New York Post.
At least nine others - eight students and one teacher - were taken to the hospital following the heartbreaking incident, and are expected to survive, according to CNN.
The victims have been identified as students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14, and math teachers Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Christina Irimie, 53.
Schermerhorn, who was autistic, was one of the two students killed.
Friends of the 14-year-old's mom told The New York Times that he had recently started at Apalachee.
He was described as a lighthearted boy who spent time with his loved ones and enjoyed reading, playing video games, telling jokes, and visiting Walt Disney World.
"He really enjoyed life," Doug Kilburn, who has known Schermerhorn’s mother for a decade, told the publication. "He always had an upbeat attitude about everything."
Christian Angulo, 14Angulo's older sister remembered her younger brother as a “very good kid” who was “very sweet and so caring,” on a GoFundMe page.
“He was so loved by many. His loss was so sudden and unexpected. We are truly heartbroken. He really didn’t deserve this," she said.
"We kindly ask if you could help us with any donations to help us with expenses for his funeral ceremony due to his loss being so sudden. We appreciate anything you can give. We also would appreciate any prayers at this time," they concluded.
As of the time of writing, $35,035 has been raised.
Irimie was one of the two educators killed in the horrific shooting.
According to the Barrow County Schools website, the 53-year-old taught math at Apalachee High School. Students described her as patient and caring, Fox 5 Atlanta reported.
Aspinwall, who was also a math teacher and assistant coach of the Winder-based school’s football team, also lost his life in the tragedy.
Head coach Mike Hancock shared a tribute post about the 39-year-old, which read: "He was a great dad, man, and a great father. He loved his two girls and he loved his wife. He did happen to love the game of football and he was well respected around this area," cited by USA Today.
Sophomore player Isaiah Hooks also spoke about the late teacher: “It’s just so hard to think that somebody that you spent so much time with because this is my second year with a coach, but spending so much time, like family basically. So, turning around, knowing that he’s not going to be there."
Chris Hosey, director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, said the suspect, who is a minor, would be charged as an adult with four counts of murder.
“And I would just ask all Georgians and all Americans to continue to keep these families, these educators, and these students in your thoughts and prayers,” Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said on Wednesday night, per The NY Post.
“And we will provide every state resource that is needed from here until they’re not. To support this community and support this team behind me," he added.
Kamala Harris condemned the deadly shooting during a campaign event in North Hampton, New Hampshire.
“We’re still gathering information about what happened, but we know that there were multiple fatalities and injuries, and our hearts are with all the students, the teachers, and their families,” the Democratic nominee said, per The Guardian. “Of course, we are grateful to the first responders and the law enforcement that were on the scene."
"But this is just a senseless tragedy, on top of so many senseless tragedies, and it’s just outrageous that every day in our country, in the United States of America, that parents have to send their children to school worried about whether or not their child will come home alive," she continued.
“It’s senseless. It is. We’ve got to stop it, and we have to end this epidemic of gun violence in our country once and for all. You know, it doesn’t have to be this way. It doesn’t have to be this way," she concluded.
Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this horrific tragedy.
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