The first victim of the Apalachee High School shooting has been identified as 14-year-old Mason Schermerhorn.
The victim’s family said Channel 12 News that Schermerhorn, who was autistic, was among four people killed when a gunman named 14-year-old Colt Gray opened fire Wednesday morning.
Schermerhorn’s loved ones shared the devastating news of her death on social media, with one saying, “It’s sad that we can’t even send our babies to school and have them be safe.”
Another loved one said: ‘Beautiful Mason, we are so sorry! (America) failed you… Hug your children!’
“I’m sick of texting “I love you” to my kids at school when this happens over and over again,” they said. “I’m sick of everyone’s “thoughts and prayers” with NO ACTION.”
Mason Schermerhorn, 14, an autistic student at Apalachee High School, was the first victim to be identified. He was among four people killed in the mass shooting.
A large police presence descended on Apaleechee High School in Winder, Georgia, on Wednesday after authorities said a 14-year-old student opened fire, wounding nine and killing four.
Horrifying details have emerged from inside classrooms showing the chilling chaos endured by students when gunshots rang out this morning.
Gray, 14, wounded at least nine other people in the horrific shooting in Winder, Georgia. Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith said Gray immediately surrendered when confronted by police and “gave up and got on the ground.”
First in the photo was special education teacher David Phenix. Phenix was shot in the hip and foot, but survived the tragedy.
Authorities have not yet provided any identification on the three other people who were shot and killed, and said there are no preliminary indications they were specifically targeted, though the investigation is ongoing.
It is unclear how the 14-year-old gunman obtained the weapon used in the attack, and authorities have not yet said what type of firearm was used.
Following his arrest, Gray will be charged with murder and tried as an adult, the director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said.
According to authorities, Gray opened fire at approximately 10:23 a.m., injuring at least 13 people as frenzied scenes took over the school.
Footage showed students streaming onto campus as terrified parents ran to find their children, with one mother describing the scene outside the school as pure “chaos”.
Concerned parents gathered at the school on Wednesday
Horrifying details have emerged from inside classrooms showing the chilling chaos endured by students when gunshots rang out this morning.
Lyela Sayerath, a junior at the school, said she was sitting next to Colt Gray in algebra class minutes before the shooting began.
She told CNN that Colt left the classroom at the start of his class at 9:45 a.m., about a half-hour before active shooter alerts sounded.
Gray did not ask permission to go to the bathroom, she said, leading her to initially think he was simply skipping class, before an announcement over the loudspeaker told teachers to check their emails.
Shortly afterward, Sayerath said, Gray returned outside his classroom and a student stood up to open the door for him before jumping back upon seeing his gun.
“I guess he saw that we weren’t going to let him in. And I guess the door to the classroom next door was open, so I think he started shooting in the classroom,” he said.
Sayerath said Gray proceeded to fire a series of bullets “one after the other,” adding, “When we heard it, most of the people just fell to the ground and crawled around in an area piled on top of each other.”
Lyela Sayerath, a junior at the school, said she was sitting next to Colt Gray in algebra class minutes before the shooting began.
A mother described the scenes outside the high school as ‘chaos’
Sayerath said his friend was in the classroom next door and witnessed someone being shot, which left him “shocked.” “He saw that someone had been shot. There was blood on him. He was kind of limping. He looked horrified,” he added.
As information comes in about the school shooting, officially the deadliest in Georgia history, students and parents are sharing their shock at the horror that unfolded.
A mother, Erin Clark, shared the text message exchange she had with her son Ethan from the moment she learned there was an active shooter at his school.
She wrote: “There is a school shooting going on right now. I am scared. I am not joking.”
His mother immediately responded and assured him that she was leaving work. In a heartbreaking response, Ethan wrote: “I love you.”
“I love you too, baby. Where are you?” Clark said. Ethan told him he was in class and added, “Someone died.”
Many students filmed the events and one shocked grandfather revealed that his granddaughters were “carried away among blood and victims” after the shooting.
“They heard the gunshots and SWAT officers came into the room with their guns on looking for the shooters,” James Shappard said. “No child should have to go through that.”
Heartbreaking messages between an Apalachee High School student and his mother revealed the moment the children learned there was an active shooter
The first victim of the shooting, special education teacher David Phenix, has been photographed. Phenix was shot in the hip and foot but survived the tragedy.
Sergio Caldera, 17, said he was in his senior chemistry class when he heard gunshots and told ABC: ‘My teacher goes and opens the door to see what’s going on.
‘Another teacher runs in and tells him to lock the door because there’s an active shooter.’
Caldera said her class heard chilling screams coming from outside as they “huddled together.”
Another 15-year-old boy told Atlanta News First that his teacher immediately locked the door and his classmates crouched in a lockdown position when the gunfire began Wednesday morning.
He said he was worried about his friends and classmates as gunshots rang out near where he was crouching.
Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith said Gray immediately surrendered when confronted by police and “surrendered and got on the ground.”
Terrified students said they heard screams from the hallway.
Melanie, who is a student at Apalachee High School, revealed that a “code red” announcement, along with a flashing red light, began playing in her classroom.
During the exercises the light never came on, which made him realise that the experience was real and serious, he told local reporters.
His classmates immediately hid in the corner of the room following the instructions of their teacher, who turned off the classroom light.
Melanie said many of her friends didn’t have cell service, but she did, so she texted her own family before letting her other classmates text their parents from her phone.
And Camille Nelms, 14, told WXIA the gunman entered her classroom.
“I was crying. I didn’t want to die that way,” she said.
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