today we are covering a heartbreaking story out of Georgia that has left a community in mourning a school shooting at appalache High School in Winder Barrow County has claimed the lives of four people and injured nine others the shooter a 14-year-old student at the very same school he's now in custody and facing charges of murder as we unravel the details of this devastating event let's take a closer look at what happened and how this tragedy has impacted not only the school but the entire country this incident took place on a typical Wednesday morning for the students and staff at appalache high school it started out like any other day but at 10:20 a.m. chaos erupted that's when law enforcement received the first reports of an active shooter within minutes police arrived on the scene and two school resource officers who were already stationed on campus immediately confronted the suspect the shooter a 14-year-old named Colt gray was a student at the school according to officials he surrendered without resistance no one could have predicted that this young boy just 14 years old would be at the center of such a horrific event but after taking the lives of two fellow students and two teachers it was clear that the day would leave an irreversible mark on the school and the surrounding Community what makes this situation even more tragic is the lack of a clear motive authorities have yet to identify any specific Target or reason for the shooting as of now they don't know what caused Colt to carry out this act of violence local sheriff Jud Smith called the attack pure evil a senseless tragedy that has shattered the lives of many families at a press conference Sheriff Smith revealed that the shooter gave himself up willingly and was taken into custody without further incident so far what we do know is that the FBI had previously been aware of Colt gray in fact just last year when he was 13 years old the FBI interviewed him after receiving anonymous tips these tips warned about Colt making threats to commit a school shooting the threats were posted online and even included photos of guns the FBI took These Warnings seriously conducting an interview with both Colt and his father during that interview Colt denied making the threats and his father assured agents that while they did have hunting guns in the house Colt did not have unsupervised access to them at that time the FBI concluded that there was no probable cause to arrest him however they did alert local schools to keep an eye on him for any suspicious behavior in hindsight this warning feels hauntingly inadequate it's heartbreaking to think that there were warning signs anonymous tips online threats but despite all of this Colt remained free and a year later this horrific attack unfolded the question now is could more have been done to prevent this tragedy it's something authorities will likely investigate as they search for answers in the Days to Come As for the victims their names and stories are slowly being shared with the public among them is 14-year-old Mason shermerhorn a student who was autistic his family like many others was left in shock and disbelief Mason's photo circulated online as his family initially searched for him holding on to hope that he had somehow survived tragically it was later confirmed that he did not make it another victim was a beloved teacher David Fenix who was also a coach at the school he was injured during the attack suffering gunshot wounds to the foot and hip his hip was shattered by the bullets and he underwent surgery to repair the damage thankfully his condition has been described as stable but the emotional and physical toll of such an event is something that no surgery can heal as the investigation continues law enforcement has yet to disclose key details such as the type of weapon cult used or the number number of shots fired however what we do know is that the school was placed on immediate lockdown and students were evacuated to a nearby football stadium where they were later reunited with their families the response from local authorities was Swift but for many those minutes of Terror felt like a lifetime one of the most harrowing aspects of this story is hearing the firsthand accounts from the students who were there when it all happened imagine sitting in class when the door suddenly opens and your worst nightmare begins to unfold Lila CRA a student who was in Colt's class told CNN that colt had left the room at the beginning of their algebra lesson when he came back he knocked on the door but another student refused to let him in after seeing that he was holding a gun realizing the danger the classmates quick thinking likely saved lives but Colt didn't stop there he went next door where the gunfire began what followed was a scene of chaos and confusion students and teachers scrambled to barricade themselves in class rooms stacking desks and chairs against doors in a desperate attempt to stay safe Marquez Coleman another student recounted his terrifying experience to CBS News he described seeing Colt with a big gun just moments before the shooting started Marquez got up and began running but behind him Colt started firing Marquez said that colt shot at least 10 times and when he looked back he saw one of his classmates on the ground bleeding heavily while another girl was shot in the leg he also saw a friend who had been shot in the stomach these are images that will stay with Marquez and many others for the rest of their lives across the country reactions have poured in from public figures and government officials Georgia Governor Brian Kemp expressed his sorrow and offered prayers for the victims and their families he vowed to use every available State resource to assist in the investigation and to provide support to those affected vice president CA Harris also to address the tragedy calling it a senseless act and urging the country to find solutions to the problem of gun violence in schools in her words it's outrageous that every day in our country parents have to worry about whether their children will come home alive former president Donald Trump also weighed in on the situation taking to his social media platform truth social to condemn the ACT he called Colt a sick and deranged monster and expressed his sorrow for the lives lost as of now the investigation is ongoing with federal agents working alongside local law enforcement to piece together what led to this tragic event authorities have interviewed Colt since his arrest but answers are likely to take time Sheriff Smith made it clear that this will be a lengthy process and while the shooter is now in custody the community will be searching for healing and understanding for a long time to come in the aftermath of such tragedies we are often left with more questions than answers why did this happen could it have been prevented and how do we stop these events from happening again while we don't have all the answers today what we do have is a collective responsibility to ensure that our schools the places where children go to learn and grow are safe from harm as we close this chapter on an incredibly difficult story our thoughts go out to the families of the victims to the students and teachers who witnessed this horror firsthand and to everyone in the community who is now dealing with the aftermath of of this devastating event the road to Healing will be long but it is a journey that must be taken thank you for watching and please stay safe out there if you or anyone you know is struggling with the emotional weight of these events know that there are resources available together we can work to prevent future tragedies and ensure that no more lives are lost to violence in our school