Monday’s deadly shooting at a private Christian school in Wisconsin comes just three months after a shooting killed two students and two teachers at Apalachee High School in Barrow County. It was the deadliest mass shooting in Georgia’s history.
Here’s a breakdown of where things stand with the Apalachee shooting:
What happened
On Sept. 4, a shooter entered the school and opened fire. Christian Angulo, 14, Mason Schermerhorn, 14, Ricky Aspinwall, 39, and Cristina Irimie, 53, died from gunshot wounds. Another student, Colt Gray, 14, was arrested shortly after the shooting and charged with murder.
The investigation
The alleged shooter was indicted in October on 55 charges in the case. The charges include: four counts of felony murder, four counts of malice murder, four counts of aggravated battery, 18 counts of cruelty to children in the first degree and 25 counts of aggravated assault. His father, Colin Gray, is facing 29 charges for allegedly providing his son with the gun, including: two counts of murder in the second-degree, two counts of involuntary manslaughter, five counts of reckless conduct and 20 counts of cruelty to children in the second degree.
The response
The school district immediately closed the school after the shooting. It organized a “gradual opening” that included allowing students to return to the school for an open house before resuming classes on Sept. 24. The school held shorter school days when classes resumed and had additional counselors, therapy dogs and other resources available. Barrow County’s school board also agreed to hire eight more school resource officers.
School safety discussions
School district leaders are reviewing potential safety enhancements, including metal or weapons detectors, with school-based committees. The school district created a survey for the Barrow community to offer feedback about ideas to improve safety such as increasing security personnel on school grounds, more mental health resources, what types of backpacks should be allowed on school grounds and student photo identification badges. The responses will be shared with the school board at its Jan. 28 work session for their consideration in future decisions.
Community support
Local businesses, civic organizations and celebrities rallied to find ways to help the school community after the shooting. The Atlanta Falcons hosted Apalachee’s football team at a September practice. Singer Jelly Roll hosted a concert for the Apalachee High School community in late October. VictimsFirst, a nonprofit organization, announced last week it has distributed $154,000 collected for the families of those killed in the shooting and to the survivors.
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