A recent report from Barrow County, Georgia, indicates that the county’s emergency call center faced a deluge of calls regarding a school shooting at Apalachee High School on September 4th. The records revealed that many of the 911 calls during the incident were not made public due to state law exemptions concerning calls involving individuals under the age of 18, which included most of the school’s 1,900 students in Winder, near Atlanta.
During the shooting incident, the call volume peaked around 10:20 a.m. when 14-year-old Colt Gray initiated the shooting. Several calls were met with automated messages citing a high call volume, as reported by WAGA-TV. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution documented an instance where a man was placed on hold for over 10 minutes after contacting 911 upon receiving distressing text messages from his girlfriend amidst the shooting chaos.
Desperate parents also reached out to 911 after being contacted by their children during the harrowing event. One mother recounted her daughter’s panicked call, describing hearing alarming sounds. In response, the 911 operator assured her of the presence of officers on-site. Additionally, parents of students from neighboring elementary and middle schools also flooded the emergency line seeking information and reassurance.
Following the tragic shooting that claimed the lives of teachers Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Cristina Irimie, 53, along with students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14, and left another teacher and eight students injured, further details have emerged. Colt Gray faces four counts of murder as an adult, with prosecutors considering additional charges related to the wounded victims. Moreover, his father, Colin Gray, has also been charged for allegedly providing the teenager access to the firearm with knowledge of the potential dangers.
After the incident, the 13,000 students from other schools in Barrow County resumed classes the following Tuesday, as confirmed by officials. Meanwhile, the 1,900 students of Apalachee High School are expected to begin returning gradually starting the week of September 23rd.
