Apalachee High School shooting 911 calls released

BARROW COUNTY, Ga. - Authorities have released the 911 calls made from Apalachee High School on the day of the shooting, Sept. 4. 

Colt Gray, 14, is accused of pulling out a high-powered rifle from his backpack — a gift from his father, Colin, according to investigators — and opening fire, killing four people and injuring nine others. 

The Barrow County 911 call center was inundated with phone calls around 10:20 a.m., and many people received an automated message explaining there was a "high call volume." 

An emotional caller, struggling to find the right words, contacted 911 to try to relay information provided by her daughter.

Caller: "My daughter calling me crying. Somebody go 'boom, boom, boom, boom'" 

Barrow 911: "Ma'am we have officers out there, OK?" 

Caller: "Oh yes, please at Apalachee High School." 

Some of the calls rolled into neighboring Gwinnett County. 

Barrow 911: "Barrow County 911, what is your emergency?" 

Gwinnett 911: "Hey, Barrow, this is Gwinnett, we have a caller on the line who said he got a call from his girlfriend advising of an active shooter at Apalachee High School." 

Barrow 911: "I have units on the scene there, I cannot confirm or deny what is going on there." 

The caller stated that he had been texting with his girlfriend, who was inside the school, hiding from the shots. She was eventually evacuated from the school. 

Nearby Yargo Elementary School and Haymon-Morris Middle School were also on lockdown. Parents there flooded the 911 call center. 

Caller: "Sir, my daughter goes to school next door to Apalachee. Is there a school shooter?" 

Barrow 911: "We do have an active situation Apalachee High School right now. We have a lot of calls coming in." 

The 911 operator explained all the schools are on a hard lockdown. 

Due to Georgia law, many of the calls will not be released. In a letter to FOX 5, Barrow County Emergency Communications explained that "911 calls that contain the speech or cries of a minor" are not part of Georgia’s open records, as most of the calls were made from inside the school 

The Apalachee High School gathered to mourn those killed in Wednesday's attack, pray for those who were injured, and try come to grips with the atrocity at a makeshift memorial in front of the Winder school on Sept. 6, 2024.  (FOX 5)

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Apalachee High School teachers Cristina Irimie and Richard Aspirnwall, along with 14-year-old students Christian Angulo and Mason Schermerhorn, were killed in the attack. 

Colt Gray, Colin Gray (Barrow County Sheriff's Office)

Both Colt and his father, Colin, now face charges connected to the shooting. Colt Gray was charged with four counts of felony murder. Colin Gray was charged with four separate counts – four of involuntary manslaughter, two of second-degree murder, and eight of cruelty to children. 

Both are being held without bond.