Crime
Video shows the gun used in the Apalachee High School shooting
The shooting incident left at least four people dead and 9 injured.
Video Reveals the Gun Used in the Apalachee High School Shooting. A student recounted their harrowing experience during the school shooting, describing how they witnessed an automatic weapon lying on the floor in the hallway as they were exiting the building.
A 14-year-old boy is suspected of being the gunman who opened fire at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, on Wednesday morning.
Law enforcement sources have confirmed that the suspect is in custody and alive. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) reported that four people were killed in the shooting, and nine others were hospitalized with injuries.
Initial reports suggested that approximately 30 people were injured, but the exact number and nature of the injuries remain unclear. The information provided is preliminary and subject to change.
It is unknown whether the 14-year-old suspect attended Apalachee High School.
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.
The shooting incident left at least four people dead and 9 injured.
Apalachee High School, the site of today’s tragic mass shooting in Georgia, had received a phone threat earlier in the morning.
Multiple law enforcement officials confirmed to CNN that the school received a call warning of shootings at five schools, with Apalachee being the first target.
The identity of the caller remains unknown. Authorities are currently investigating the origin of the threat.
Phenix’s daughter, Katie, shared that her father arrived at the hospital alert and awake and underwent successful surgery. She expressed gratitude for his survival and requested prayers for their family and the Apalachee High School community.
Phenix, a dedicated teacher of 22 years, had planned to retire in 2023. However, he accepted a position as the golf coach at Apalachee High School just three days before the tragic shooting occurred.
This is a developing story that will be updated when more information is available.
Orlando, Fla. — 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.
Cruz’s 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. Cruz’s partner allegedly yelled toward the occupants of the vehicle, prompting the car to stop. A physical altercation then reportedly began between Cruz’s partner and one of the individuals from the vehicle.
“When 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,” Anthony Cruz said. “My son didn’t deserve what happened. All I have left is a shirt — a shirt with a bullet hole.”
While police have charged Borja Gil De La Madr, Cruz’s 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 Cruz’s memory.
Joshua Cooper, owner of Savoy Orlando, said the tragedy has deeply impacted the LGBTQ+ community, even though the shooting occurred off the club’s property.
“I didn’t know the victim, but from everything I’ve been told, I wish I had,” Cooper said. “He seemed like a great kid. Seeing a family that is so heartbroken and so supportive of this community says so much.”
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.