Crime
Victims in Apalachee High School shooting identified
The suspect, a 14-year-old student named Colt Gray, has been identified and will face murder charges.
A tragic mass shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, claimed the lives of four people and injured nine others.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) identified the victims as two teachers, Christina Irimie and Richard Aspinwall, and two students, Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo.
Nine additional victims, including eight students and one teacher, were transported to area hospitals. Six of the injured individuals, including two with gunshot wounds, were taken to a Northeast Georgia Medical Center campus.
The suspect, a 14-year-old student at Apalachee High School named Colt Gray, has been identified and will face murder charges.
The photo was shared by a former classmate who attended elementary school with Gray in the third grade.
Law enforcement responded swiftly to reports of an active shooter at the school, arriving on the scene shortly before 10:30 a.m. Dozens of officers and emergency vehicles surrounded the school, and students were evacuated to the stadium.
The Barrow County Sheriff’s Office is assisting students in reuniting with their parents. Buses will be provided for transportation.
The circumstances surrounding the shooting remain under investigation. Sheriff Jud Smith stated that there is no known connection between the suspect and the victims.
There have been reports that Kolten Gray, another student at the school, was involved. These reports are inaccurate.
A special education math teacher, David Phenix, has been identified as the first victim of the tragic shooting at Apalachee High School.
Phenix survived the attack but sustained gunshot wounds to the hip and foot, resulting in a shattered hip bone. He was immediately transported to the hospital for emergency surgery.
In May 2023, the FBIโs National Threat Operations Center received anonymous tips about online threats to commit a school shooting at an unspecified location.
The threats included photographs of guns. The FBI identified the post as originating in Georgia and referred the information to the Jackson County Sheriffโs Office.
The Jackson County Sheriffโs Office identified a possible suspect, a 13-year-old male, and interviewed him and his father.
The father stated that there were hunting guns in the house, but the suspect did not have unsupervised access to them.
The suspect denied making the threats.
Local schools were alerted for continued monitoring.
At that time, there was no probable cause for arrest or further law enforcement action at the local, state, or federal levels.
A photo depicts the home in Bethlehem, Georgia, where Colt Gray, the alleged 14-year-old suspect in the Apalachee High School shooting, resided with his father and two younger siblings.
The home is approximately 6 miles away from the school.
This is a developing story that will be updated when more information is available.
Orlando, Fla. โ Family and friends of 33-year-old Julien Emmanuel Cruz are seeking answers and accountability following his fatal shooting outside a popular LGBTQ+ nightclub early Sunday morning.
According to the Orlando Police Department, officers responded at approximately 2:31 a.m. on February 22, 2026, to the 1900 block of North Orange Avenue, just north of Lake Ivanhoe, in reference to a reported shooting.
Upon arrival, officers located Cruz suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. He was transported to a local hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries. Authorities confirmed Cruz was born May 18, 1992.
Detectives determined that prior to the shooting, Cruz and the suspect were involved in a verbal and physical altercation on the sidewalk outside the nightclub district. Investigators say that during the dispute, the suspect retrieved a firearm from his vehicle and shot Cruz.
The suspect fled the scene in a vehicle, which patrol officers later located in the 200 block of East New Hampshire Avenue, approximately two blocks from where the shooting occurred.
Police subsequently arrested 37-year-old Jean Gabriel Borja Gil De La Madr (DOB: October 29, 1988). He has been charged with Second Degree Murder with a Firearm. Authorities confirmed this case marks the third homicide in Orlando in 2026.
Cruzโs father, Anthony Cruz, said his son and his partner had been at Savoy Orlando enjoying the evening before the violence unfolded.
According to the family, as the couple exited the club after closing time, a vehicle sped past them. Cruzโs partner allegedly yelled toward the occupants of the vehicle, prompting the car to stop. A physical altercation then reportedly began between Cruzโs partner and one of the individuals from the vehicle.
โWhen they fought, my son saw that was happening. My son went to intervene, and when he intervened, another guy got out of the car, and he got shot,โ Anthony Cruz said. โMy son didnโt deserve what happened. All I have left is a shirt โ a shirt with a bullet hole.โ
While police have charged Borja Gil De La Madr, Cruzโs family maintains that another individual may have been directly responsible for pulling the trigger. Authorities have not publicly confirmed whether additional suspects are being sought.
A small memorial has formed across from the nightclub, where members of the community have gathered to honor Cruzโs memory.
Joshua Cooper, owner of Savoy Orlando, said the tragedy has deeply impacted the LGBTQ+ community, even though the shooting occurred off the clubโs property.
โI didnโt know the victim, but from everything Iโve been told, I wish I had,โ Cooper said. โHe seemed like a great kid. Seeing a family that is so heartbroken and so supportive of this community says so much.โ
The Orlando Police Department has not released additional information regarding potential additional suspects. Detectives continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the altercation and shooting.
Anyone with information related to this case is encouraged to contact the Orlando Police Department or Crimeline.
The investigation remains active.