What we know about the two students and teacher killed in a school massacre in Georgia

• The shooting on Wednesday, September 5, at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, left two students and two teachers dead and nine others hospitalized.
• The suspected shooter, identified as 14-year-old Colt Gray, a high school student, has since been arrested
• The four victims of the shooting were two 14-year-olds and two teachers in the math department, one of whom also worked as an assistant football coach.

A community in Georgia was thrown into turmoil when a gunman opened fire at a local high school, killing two students and two teachers.

Nine other people were hospitalized after the shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, about 50 miles outside of Atlanta.

The first gunshots were reported just before 10:30 a.m. local time on Wednesday, September 5, just weeks into the school year. The chaotic scenes led to the closure of the school as dozens of police and emergency personnel surrounded the building.

The suspected shooter was identified as 14-year-old Colt Gray, a student at the high school. The suspected shooter was arrested after being confronted by a school security guard, authorities said.

Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith called the shooting an act of “pure evil” and vowed that “hate will not win.”

The four victims killed in the shooting were two 14-year-olds and two teachers from the mathematics department, one of whom was also an assistant football coach.

Mason Schermerhorn

The 14-year-old was one of two students killed in the shooting, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation confirmed.

Doug Kilburn, a friend of the family, told the New York Times that Schermerhorn had recently arrived at Apalachee High School. He remembered the boy as someone who enjoyed spending time with his family, telling jokes, playing video games and taking trips to Walt Disney World.

“He really enjoyed life,” Kilburn said Just“He always had a positive attitude towards everything.”

Another family friend recalled the moment he learned of Schermerhorn’s death from the boy’s mother.

“My heart sank,” Louis Briscoe said loudly Just. “He added: “No one should have to suffer such pain.”

Christian Angulo

Angulo, 14, was identified by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation as the other student killed in the shooting.

As part of a GoFundMe campaign to cover funeral expenses, Angulo’s sister confirmed his death, saying his loss was “so sudden and unexpected.”

“He was a very good boy, very sweet and caring,” wrote Lisette Angulo on the fundraising page. “He was so loved by many. His loss was so sudden and unexpected. We are deeply heartbroken. He really didn’t deserve this.”

As of Thursday, Sept. 5, the fundraising goal of $30,000 had already been exceeded. Classmates remembered the freshman as someone who was “funny” and had a “laid-back attitude,” Fox 5 Atlanta reported.

A close friend of Angulo said he was in “denial” after learning of Angulo’s death.

“I started asking other people if it was true that he died because I just wanted to know,” Abner Sanz told Fox 5 Atlanta. “I just didn’t want to believe it because you would never believe that someone you know would just die like that.”

Richard Aspinwall

Aspinwall, 39, a math teacher, was one of two teachers killed in the shooting. He was also the defensive coordinator for the high school football team and the father of two girls.

“As our community, our school and our football program begin the grieving process, we are so grateful for the outpouring of support,” said Apalachee Football said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). “To our beloved Defensive Coordinator Ricky Aspinwall, you will be held in our hearts. We love you Coach A!!!”

Apalachee coach Mike Hancock told the Athenian Banner Herald that Aspinwall was one of his first employees when he took the job last year.

“He was a great father, husband and dad,” Hancock told the newspaper. “He loved his two daughters and his wife. He also happened to love football and was well respected in the area.”

Ariel Bowling, a student at the school, said: Today that Aspinwall was her math teacher.

“I just want people to know that he was a really kind-hearted man,” she told the show. “He really pushed you and he was really hardworking and he just had the kindest soul ever.”

A GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for Aspinwall’s wife and children has raised nearly $140,000.

Christina Irimie

Irimie taught algebra in Apalachee. The 53-year-old always made her students feel welcome and told lots of jokes, one student told CBS Mornings.

“She really made you feel welcome and she helps you,” Isaac Sanguma said on the show. “I’m not really good at math, but I understand math just about, having been in school for three weeks. She was really nice.”

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Irimie was originally from Romania and was active in the Romanian community in Georgia, where she eventually worked as a dance teacher.

Nicolae Clempus, a Romanian expat, told the newspaper that Irimie helped him welcome the country when he moved to the United States.

“She was always very cheerful, always happy,” Clempus said, according to the newspaper. “If you hear someone laughing, Christina is right there.”

A GoFundMe campaign started by one of Irimie’s friends, which raised over $16,000, described her as a “beloved teacher, wife, daughter and friend.”