WINDER, Ga. — The community of Winder was rocked Wednesday after a 14-year-old gunman allegedly killed four people and injured nine more after opening fire inside Apalachee High School.
In the days that have followed, we have learned the identities of the victims, gathered background information on the suspect, and discovered authorities have arrested and charged his father in connection to the case.
11Alive is breaking down everything you need to know about this tragedy, including where the case goes next, the first court appearances for both suspects and a full timeline of the events of Sept. 4.
Where the case stands
Colt Gray - Alleged gunman
Following the deadly shooting on Wednesday, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation arrested 14-year-old Colt Gray and charged him with four counts of felony murder. Colt Gray was booked by the Barrow County Sheriff's Office, where he had his mugshot taken.
Colt Gray made his first appearance in the Barrow County Courthouse on Friday morning. The judge read his charges and explained the maximum sentences related to them. Gray's attorney was in court on Friday and said they were not asking for bond.
Minutes after the initial hearing, the judge called Colt Gray back to the courtroom to correct an earlier misstatement that his crimes could be punishable by death. Because he’s a juvenile, the maximum penalty he would face is life without parole.
Colin Gray - Father of the alleged gunman
On Thursday, a day after the deadly shooting, the GBI arrested 54-year-old Colin Gray and charged him with two counts of second-degree murder, four counts of involuntary manslaughter and eight counts of child cruelty -- which are related to the eight children hospitalized by gunshot wounds.
In warrants obtained by 11Alive through the Barrow County Sheriff's Office, new details reveal he knowingly supplied an AR-15-style weapon to his son Colt Gray despite “knowing he posed a danger to himself and others.”
Colin Gray's mugshot was obtained by 11Alive shortly after his arrest on Thursday evening.
Colin Gray also made his first appearance in the Barrow County Courthouse on Friday. He was read his charges, and the judge told him that if they were added together, his time served could amount to 180 years in prison if he was convicted of the maximum sentence for each.
Both attorneys made no request for bond for the Grays.
Where the case goes next
Brad Smith, the district attorney for the Piedmont Judicial Circuit, which includes Barrow County, spoke at a press conference Friday to outline the next steps in the prosecution of 14-year-old Colt Gray and his father, Colin Gray, following a tragic shooting at Apalachee High School that left two students and two teachers dead.
Smith said additional charges will be brought against suspected gunman Colt Gray as the investigation continues. When Colt Gray was initially taken into custody, the identities and conditions of the other victims were not fully known, delaying the filing of certain charges, Smith said.
What are the next steps?
According to Smith, the next legal step in the process will be a grand jury hearing scheduled for Oct. 17. This closed-door proceeding will determine the next phase of the charges. Smith emphasized that while new charges against Colt Gray are certain, charges against Colin Gray may depend on the outcome of the investigation.
"We will probably wait until the investigation is complete (before filing additional charges,)" Smith said, emphasizing that they want to ensure all charges are brought at once.
Smith also highlighted the unprecedented nature of the case, noting that it is only the second time in the U.S. and the first time in Georgia that a parent has been charged in connection with a school shooting involving their child.
How the tragedy unfolded
Many are still grappling with the pain after the shooting at Apalachee High School.
The GBI said deputies with the Barrow County Sheriff's Office responded minutes after reports of an active shooter at 10:20 a.m. and encountered the suspect, who "immediately surrendered to these officers, and he was taken into custody."
"Obviously, the shooter was armed, and our school resource officer engaged him, and the shooter quickly realized that if he did not give up, that it would end with an OIS (officer-involved shooting)," Sheriff Jud Smith said, describing how the suspect was taken into custody. "He gave up, got on the ground, and the (officer) took him into custody."
Students described the terrifying moments when they heard gunshots ring out inside the school. One student described the first shots as sounding like a locker slamming shut. Students and teachers immediately realized shortly after there was an active shooter inside the school.
Several students told 11Alive they thought they were going to die -- with one student even explaining he was about to go to the bathroom right before the gunshots started but decided not to.
Another student, who told CNN she was a classmate of Colt Gray, said he was not inside the class and they were looking for him. She said students saw him at the door, and one student went to let him inside when she saw that he had a gun and turned away. Gray shortly began firing after that moment and sent students into the corner of the classroom with the lights off and hiding behind desks.
Photos | Mass shooting scene at Apalachee High School
Sheriff Smith recounted the horrifying scene when he arrived at Apalachee High School in a sit-down interview with NBC.
"It was carnage; there was blood everywhere. You could smell the gunpowder," Sheriff Smith said.
The sheriff added that the county recently implemented the Centegix notification system about a week and a half ago. Sheriff Smith said the Centegix system sends authorities exact GPS coordinates to the foot of where they are.
Despite the heartbreak, Sheriff Smith expressed pride in the response of first responders and school resource officers. He also called the teachers the real heroes.
"I'm extremely proud of them. I'm most proud of even in a bad situation like this, those teachers were heroes. I want that to be known. They were heroes. They saved a lot of children," he added.
Who are the victims?
According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, two of the victims who died were students, and the other two were teachers. Their names are:
The shooting also left nine others hospitalized, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Eight of those injured were students, and one was a teacher.
GoFundMe is verifying fundraisers for the families and has created a centralized hub for such accounts here.