"It's just horrific to think about": Georgia coach Kirby Smart shares his reaction to Apalachee High school shooting incident

By Maliha

Modified Sep 05, 2024 18:02 GMT

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A tragic shooting event occurred at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, on Wednesday, claiming the lives of two students and two teachers. The incident happened at approximately 10:23 a.m. and drew an immediate response from multiple law enforcement agencies and Fire/EMS personnel.

The Georgia Bulldogs coach, Kirby Smart was saddened upon hearing the tragic news.

“News started popping yesterday morning pretty early and you never think it’s going to hit near you and then it does,” Smart said ( via DawgsHQ). “I was at a football game there less than three weeks ago, at that same stadium they were all in, a middle school game… Just praying for all the people there, the community, the law enforcement, the families that lost people."

According to the Barrow County Sheriff's Office, the situation was reported as an active shooter event. The victims of this attack were identified as teachers Richard Aspinwall and Christina Irimie, along with students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo.

The 39-year-old Aspinwall was the school’s defensive coordinator and math teacher.

"A young coach with a wife and two kids, it’s just horrific to think about," Smith said. "But our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Barrow County and Apalachee High School.”

Besides the fatalities, eight students and one teacher sustained injuries. Piedmont Athens Regional Hospital provided an update that one adult was undergoing surgery for a "gunshot wound" and a minor was receiving treatment for "unspecified injuries."

The suspected shooter, 14-year-old Colt Gray, was apprehended at the scene after being confronted by officers. Authorities stated that he surrendered quickly and is now facing four counts of murder.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation's Director, Chris Hosey, confirmed that the teen would be charged as an adult for his alleged actions.

Barrow County Sheriff joins Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in addressing Apalachee High School shooting aftermath

Following the tragic school shooting in Barrow County, Georgia, Sheriff Jud Smith addressed the press with visible pain.

“This hits home for me… I went to school in this school system, my kids go to this school system. I’m proud of this school system,” Smith said ( via The Guardian). "My heart hurts for these kids. My heart hurts for our community. But 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.”

The tragedy has left the small town shaken as they confront the devastating reality of another school shooting. The Apalachee High School shooting is the first planned school attack in this fall term.

This tragic event adds to the increasing number of mass shootings in the nation, with the Gun Violence Archive reporting it as the 385th this year. It is also the 23rd school shooting of the year, according to Education Week.

President Joe Biden called the incident “another horrific reminder of how gun violence continues to tear our communities apart.” He urged Republican lawmakers to work with Democrats to pass what he referred to as “commonsense gun safety legislation.”

Vice President Kamala Harris described the incident as "a senseless tragedy on top of so many senseless tragedies."

Apalachee High School was placed in a hard lockdown following the gunfire, and the community of Barrow County gathered for a vigil Wednesday evening to mourn the victims.