Georgia, national Democratic leaders call for gun safety legislation after Apalachee High shooting

A police line is put up in front of Apalachee High School after a school shooting took place on Sept. 4, 2024, in Winder, Georgia. Four fatalities and multiple injuries have been reported and a suspect is in custody, according to authorities. (Photo by Megan Varner/Getty Images)

Americans watched in horror on TV and social media Wednesday as students from Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, evacuated the building following a shooting that left four dead and nine injured, according to law enforcement and news reports.

A 14-year-old Barrow County high school student will be charged with murder and tried as an adult in connection with Wednesday’s deadly shooting at Apalachee High School that killed two students and two teachers.

Colt Gray, a 14-year-old Apalachee student, was identified as the alleged shooter by authorities Wednesday afternoon, according to Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Chris Hosey.

Local law enforcement first received reports of an active shooter on the campus of Apalachee at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith said.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation and several other state and local law enforcement agencies and emergency responders are helping the Barrow Sheriff’s Office with the “fluid” investigation, Smith said.

“I want to give our sympathies to our community, our school system, our kids, our parents that had to witness this today, obviously what you see behind us is an evil thing today,” said an emotional Smith, a lifelong resident of Barrow.

Fallout

The shooting is likely to spur further calls for gun safety measures in the coming state legislative session, set to begin in January. A Senate study committee on safe firearm storage was already scheduled to meet for the first time Thursday morning.

The five-person committee is chaired by Decatur Democratic Sen. Emanuel Jones and includes three Republicans and two Democrats.

“As Chairman of the Senate Study Committee on Safe Firearm Storage, I am committed to finding solutions to stop these tragedies before they occur,” Jones said in a statement. “This is not about infringing on Second Amendment rights but protecting our children and their safety. The technology exists today to secure firearms effectively, ensuring that they do not fall into the hands of those who should not have access to them, particularly children. On average, 1,927 people die by guns in Georgia each year — these are not just numbers; they are lives lost and families shattered. We must do more.”

Georgians have been shocked by several high-profile shootings in recent years, including in 2021 when a gunman killed eight people, including six women of Asian descent, at spas across metro Atlanta, and in 2023, when a shooting in an Atlanta medical facility left one dead and put a several blocks of the city on extended lockdown.

Those incidents, combined with others nationwide like 2022’s school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, spurred Georgia lawmakers to seek ways to increase student safety.

Gov. Brian Kemp has touted measures including a recurring $103.9 million budget item for school safety, which amounts to $45,000 per Georgia public school to fund safety measures.

Democrats called for further steps. Johns Creek Rep. Michelle Au achieved a rare victory for gun safety supporters last year in securing a committee hearing for a gun storage bill that would have instated punishments for gun owners who negligently allow firearms to fall into the hands of unsupervised children if those children harmed themselves or others.

That bill did not pass, and neither did another bill touted as a compromise, which would have provided a tax credit of up to $300 for gun safety devices like safes and trigger locks.

Earlier this year the parents of a Michigan school shooter were found guilty of involuntary manslaughter for failing to prevent their child from carrying out the attack, which killed four.

Reactions

Tributes poured from around the country, and so did calls for new gun safety legislation.

President Joe Biden said the shooting turned the back-to-school season into “another horrific reminder of how gun violence continues to tear our communities apart” and called on Congress to enact new firearm regulations.

“After decades of inaction, Republicans in Congress must finally say ‘enough is enough’ and work with Democrats to pass common-sense gun safety legislation,” he said in a statement. “We must ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines once again, require safe storage of firearms, enact universal background checks, and end immunity for gun manufacturers. These measures will not bring those who were tragically killed today back, but it will help prevent more tragic gun violence from ripping more families apart.”

Vice-President Kamala Harris said Wednesday’s deadly Georgia school shooting is yet another reason to ramp up efforts to eradicate the epidemic of gun violence that is affecting young people across the country.

The Biden-Harris Administration announced new gun safety initiatives in March to prevent mass school shootings and other gun violence affecting youth, including a greater focus on mental health services and preventing students and people in crisis from having access to guns.

“This is just a senseless tragedy on top of so many senseless tragedies,” Harris said during Wednesday afternoon’s presidential campaign stop in New Hampshire. “It’s  just outrageous that every day in our country, in the United States of America, that parents have to send their children to school worried about whether or not their child will come home alive. It’s senseless.”

Harris called for an assault weapons ban, universal background checks, and red flag laws.

Georgia Democrats struck a similar tone.

Georgia Congresswoman Lucy McBath, whose son Jordan Davis was killed by gun violence, said she was praying for families of victims.

“I am praying for the students of Apalachee High School and the community of Winder,” she said in a statement. “I am praying for families across our state and entire country. Too many continue to experience the pain of gun violence. No family should have to go through this.”

“My heart breaks for the families of the victims at Apalachee High School & for every student,” said Sen. Raphael Warnock in a tweet. “The entire Winder community is in my prayers, but we can’t pray only with our lips — we must pray by taking action.”

“Until we center the people and start a serious, bipartisan conversation in Washington & state capitols across the country to advance popular, common sense gun safety reforms, the sad truth is it’s only a matter of time before this kind of tragedy comes knocking on your door,” he added.

Former President Donald Trump weighed in on Truth Social.

“Our hearts are with the victims and loved ones of those affected by the tragic event in Winder, GA,” Trump said. “These cherished children were taken from us far too soon by a sick and deranged monster.”

Georgia Republicans were largely sedate, offering prayers for victims and praise for law enforcement but not commenting on any policy ramifications.

“I have directed all available state resources to respond to the incident at Apalachee High School and urge all Georgians to join my family in praying for the safety of those in our classrooms, both in Barrow County and across the state,” Gov. Kemp said in a statement. “We will continue to work with local, state, and federal partners as we gather information and further respond to this situation.”

House Speaker Jon Burns said in a statement that the time to discuss policy will come.

“As a father and a grandfather, I am devastated by the horrific tragedy that took place today at Apalachee High School,” he said. “We continue to mourn the senseless loss of life and pray for those who were injured as we lift up their families and the entire Barrow County community during this time.

“We have prioritized making significant investments in mental health and school safety funding — and while there will be a time and place for policy discussions, our sole focus right now remains on surrounding these students, teachers, and families with our love and support.”

Republican Congressman Mike Collins, whose east Georgia district includes the school, is known for politically incorrect and inflammatory tweets, but he was staid on Wednesday.

“Leigh Ann and I are praying for the victims, their families, and all students at Apalachee High School in Barrow County,” he tweeted. “We extend our gratitude to law enforcement for their swift action to secure the school and get the shooter in custody. I have spoken with Sheriff Smith and told him my team and I are available to assist in any way necessary. We will continue to monitor and provide updates as prudent.”

The school is represented in the state Legislature by two high-ranking Republicans, Sen. Bill Cowsert of Athens and House Majority Leader Chuck Efstration of Auburn, who expressed similar sentiments Wednesday.

The Georgia Department of Behavioral Health & Developmental Disabilities encourages anyone experiencing emotional distress to call or text 988, a free and confidential resource to connect with trained counselors.