BARROW COUNTY, Ga. — Students from Apalachee High School are mourning the deaths of two teachers killed in a shooting Wednesday morning.
In all, four people were killed in the shooting that happened just before 10:30 a.m. Wednesday according to a release from the Barrow County Sheriff's Office. Authorities said Colt Gray, a 14-year-old student at the school, is in custody following the deadly shooting. His father is also facing charges, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced Thursday evening.
The victims were identified as the following:
Joshua Pruett, a senior student at Apalachee High School, said he was late to the school because of a doctor's appointment and "barely missed" the gunfire. Pruett said Irimie, a 53-year-old teacher killed in the shooting, was an algebra teacher.
"It's sad. I feel bad for her and her family. And I mainly feel bad for people who didn't get to meet her and didn't get to experience the joy she brought to the school," he said.
Christopher Quintanar, a 14-year-old student at the high school, said he was in the waiting room at the school as gunshots were fired.
"My brother was also in the building and it really worried me, you know, because I didn't know if he was OK or not," Quintanar said. "And luckily he was OK, but it's just really sad, you know? You just never think when it's going to be your school."
Quintanar said he remembers Aspinwall, a 39-year-old football coach killed in the gunfire, for his fiery spirit and determination to push his players on the field.
"I knew him, he's a very nice guy," Quintanar said. "He yelled at us a lot, but he did it for a reason. He wanted us to win. He was very hard on us, but it was obviously for a reason and I don't blame him."
Quintanar brought flowers Thursday to honor Aspinwall, known on campus as "Coach A."
"That's why I brought the flowers because I really wanted to mourn his death and give my condolences to him and his family," Quintanar said. "It's very sad."
In the wake of the deadly shooting, Quintanar said his feelings of safety have been irrevocably changed.
"I felt safe," Quintanar said. "I've always felt safe, you know. I'm on the football team personally and I've always felt safe. It's a good environment, but ever since that day I don't think I feel safe here."
The shooting left nine others hospitalized, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Eight of those injured were students, and one was a teacher.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation said that Gray was investigated in 2023 by the Jackson County Sheriff's Office after he allegedly posted online threats containing photos of guns in a threat to commit a school shooting. The time and location were unknown.
Gray was 13 years old at the time. At the time, the father said that though he had hunting guns in the house, his son did not have "unsupervised access" to them. The boy denied making the online threats.
Apalachee High School is located on Haymon Morris Road, just outside the city limits of Winder in Barrow County, Georgia. The school is part of the Barrow County School District, which also includes nearby schools such as Haymon Morris Middle School, Yargo Elementary School, and Cadence Academy Preschool.