A chilling video has emerged that captures students evacuating Apalachee High School through the hallway where 14-year-old shooter Colt Gray allegedly opened fire and killed four people. The footage shows the students passing by a discarded assault rifle and what appears to be a body covered with a white sheet.
The black AR-15-style rifle, reportedly used by Gray, can be seen with a magazine still attached and a second magazine lying beside it in the somber hallway. Nearby, a body is covered with a white sheet. The specific manufacturer of the gun has not yet been identified, but authorities have confirmed that the AR-style weapon was used in the shooting.
Chilling Video of Shooter's Gun
According to the manufacturer's website, a standard AR-15, which is magazine-fed, gas-operated, and semi-automatic, can fire up to 45 rounds per minute. Gray surrendered to the officers on the scene and was taken into custody, as reported by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
A distressed sophomore from Apalachee recounted to 11Alive how he barely missed encountering the gunman just moments before the shooting started.
"I was going to go to the bathroom right before it happened. And I'm so glad I didn't because I'd probably be dead right now if I did," the 10th grader told the outlet, which did not name him.
A few seconds later, he heard gunshots coming from a nearby area.
"I heard gunshots, and then my teacher told us to get in the corner. I heard screaming and police officers like, 'Get down!'" he said of the terrifying scene.
He said that one of his teachers was shot, along with a friend of a friend.
Gray had been under FBI radar since last year. The bureau revealed that local authorities had previously investigated the teen gunman in connection with online threats related to school shootings.
Chilling Revelations
The FBI said that it had questioned Gray and his father last year after receiving "several anonymous tips about online threats to commit a school shooting at an unidentified location and time."
Authorities said that Gray "denied posting the threats online" at that time, and the only step taken was to advise local schools to "closely monitor" him.
Gray's father told investigators at the time that there were hunting guns in the house, but his son did not have unsupervised access to them, according to the statement.
While there was no probable cause to take further action, local schools were notified to "continue monitoring" Gray, the statement added.
Chris Hosey, the Director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, confirmed that authorities are investigating any potential connections between the 2023 threats and the shooting that occurred Wednesday at Apalachee High School.
"This is not recent. This is in the past, but we wanted to bring that to your attention because we are pursuing that, working with the FBI on this in any connection to that incident that could be connected to today's incident as well," Hosey told reporters in a Wednesday night press briefing.
Hosey also said that investigators have been told that Gray's family had previous interactions with local children's services.
It remains unclear how the 14-year-old obtained the weapon used in the attack, and officials have not disclosed the type of firearm involved.
Following his arrest, Gray will face murder charges and will be tried as an adult, according to the Director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Law enforcement said that Gray began shooting around 10:23 a.m., impacting at least 13 people as chaos unfolded at the school.
