A junior at Apalachee High School who was sitting next to shooting suspect Colt Gray recounted the alleged gunman's unsettling behavior just before he opened fire, and how she and her classmates narrowly escaped death.
Lyela Sayarath said she was seated beside the 14-year-old in algebra class on Wednesday morning, with no warning of the impending tragedy, describing him as a 'quiet' teen. "He never really talked, he wasn't (in school) most times, he would just skip class," she told CNN. "Even when he would have talked, it was one word answers." This came as it was revealed that Gray was investigated by FBI last year for making online threats.
Chilling Moment Before Gunfire Broke Out
Sayarath said that she "wasn't surprised| when Gray was identified as the shooter, noting that "when you think of shooters and the way they act, it's usually the quiet kid and he was the one that fit that description."
She explained that on the morning of the shooting, Gray excused himself from the classroom just minutes before the gunfire erupted. However, when he left, she assumed he was simply skipping class again.
Sayarath recounted that Gray left the classroom at 9:45 a.m., about half an hour before the active shooter alerts went off. She assumed he was skipping class because he didn't take a bathroom pass from their teacher.
While Gray was away, an announcement over the loudspeaker instructed teachers to check their emails. Sayarath then saw Gray return to their classroom door.
Not yet realizing the threat, Sayarath said a student went to open the door for Gray but quickly recoiled upon seeing his gun. "I guess he saw we weren't going to let him in. And I guess the classroom next to me, their door was open so I think he just started shooting in the classroom," she said.
She said he proceeded to fire off a number of bullets "one after another", adding: "When we heard it, most people just dropped to the floor and like kind of crawled in an area like piled on top of each other."
Sayarath mentioned that her friend, who was in the adjacent classroom, saw someone get shot, leaving him deeply disturbed. "He saw somebody get shot. He had blood on him. He was kinda limping. He looked horrified," she added.
Police Identify Victims
This came as 14-year-old Mason Schermerhorn was identified as officials identified the four victims of the shooting as teachers Christina Irimie and Richard Aspinwall, along with 14-year-old students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo.
Gray, also 14, wounded at least nine others during the shooting in Winder, Georgia. Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith said that Gray surrendered immediately when approached by law enforcement, complying by lying on the ground.
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 indicated that Gray began shooting around 10:23 a.m., impacting at least 13 people as chaos unfolded at the school.
