Four students, including a 14-year-old autistic boy named Mason Schermerhorn, were slain in a mass shooting at the Apalachee high school in Georgia on Wednesday, according to family members
When the family of Mason Schermerhorn could not get in touch with him after the incident, they released his picture on social media.
Who is Mason Schermerhorn as Apalachee High School student is killed by shooter Colt Gray in Winder, Georgia shooting
14 year old Mason Schermerhorn who was black by race of the Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia was identified by his relatives as an autistic student at the institution. A family member expressed grief after his passing, stating that it was “sad we can’t even send our babies to school and them be safe.”
Friends of his mother told the New York Times that he had recently started at Apalachee and he was described as lighthearted, and enjoyed reading, video games and visiting Walt Disney World.
At a news conference on Wednesday night, the authorities named instructors Christina Irimie and Richard Aspinwall as the victims in addition to 14-year-old Christian Angulo.
RIP to the 4 victims who tragically lost their lives today in the Apalachee High School shooting. As pictured:
1. Richard Aspinwall (math teacher)
2. Mason Schermerhorn (14y/o student)
3. Christian Angulo (14y/o student)
4. Christina Irimie (math teacher) pic.twitter.com/Gfg7x4UWTL— Everything Georgia (@GAFollowers) September 5, 2024
Who killed Mason Schermerhorn?
At least nine people were injured by 14-year-old Colt Gray during the shooting in Winder, Georgia including Mason Schermerhorn. According to Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith, Gray complied with law enforcement by lying down and surrendering right away when they approached him.
Nine other casualties, including special education instructor David Phenix and eight children, were reportedly hospitalized with gunshot wounds, according to law officials. Smith states that everyone is anticipated to live.
Later, Schermerhorn’s mother told the media that her son had died at Apalachee High School. The teen boy enjoyed spending time with his family and taking trips to Walt Disney World, according to friends who talked to the media.
At a press conference, officials claimed that Gray fired inside the high school using an AR-15-style rifle. Shortly after beginning his murderous attack, he “immediately surrendered” to two school resource officers and was taken into custody.
Gray had been under FBI scrutiny for more than a year as a result of an inquiry into threats made online regarding a school shooting.
 
One of the victims in the school shooting was Mason Schermerhorn, a student with autism. 😢😢 pic.twitter.com/ccwh40ZXuF
— Everything Georgia (@GAFollowers) September 4, 2024
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According to the FBI, the 13-year-old denied making the threats, and his father informed detectives that although hunting rifles were present in their home, Gray did not have unsupervised access to them. Law enforcement personnel came to the conclusion that they lacked adequate justification to make the adolescent an arrest or take any further action.