Barrow County marks 2nd anniversary of Apalachee High School shooting
ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — Friday marks the two-year anniversary of the deadly Apalachee High School shooting.
On Sept. 4, 2024, a shooter opened fire inside the school, killing 14-year-old students Christian Angulo and Mason Schermerhorn and teachers Richard Aspinwall and Cristina Irimie. Nine other people were also hurt and taken to the hospital.
On Thursday, Barrow County families and leaders joined Gov. Brian Kemp for a ceremony at the state capital. Kemp signed an order proclaiming Sept. 4 “Apalachee Remembrance Day.”
Arely Flores, who was a sophomore at Apalachee High School at the time of the shooting, was one of the event’s speakers. She said leaning on those who share her pain is what helps her heal.
“Just having the family around and being connected to them and just having conversations with them makes me feel a lot better about it, and it makes me feel like I’m not going through it alone,” Flores said.
Full Apalachee High School shooting coverage
In July, the shooter, now 16-year-old student Colt Gray, pleaded guilty to all his 55 counts, which included murder, aggravated assault, aggravated battery and first-degree cruelty to children. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Later that same week, Gray’s father, Colin Gray, was sentenced to 15 years in prison. He had been convicted of 27 counts in March — including second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter, reckless conduct and second-degree child cruelty — for giving his son the gun used in the shooting and ignoring signs of the teen’s poor mental health.
Colin Gray has since filed a motion for a new trial.
Georgia’s deadliest school shooting has sparked change at both the state and community levels. Last year, Kemp signed legislation mandating the installation of campus-wide panic button systems in schools. In Barrow County, “Change for Chee,” a group advocating for school security reform and safe gun storage laws, also formed.
After a back-and-forth between the county’s board of commissioners and the school district, 25 school resource officers were also approved for the Barrow County School System in May.
This is a developing story. Check back with Atlanta News First as we learn more.
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