Two students and two teachers were killed in a deadly mass shooting at a Georgia high school Wednesday, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation confirmed during an afternoon press conference.
The four victims were Christian Angulo and Mason Schermerhorn, both 14-year-old students, were joined by Christina Irimie, a 53-year-old math teacher, and Richard Aspinwall, a 39-year-old math teacher and assistant football coach, according to officials.
Nine others were injured in the harrowing incident at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, about 50 miles outside of Atlanta.
Colt Gray, a 14-year-old student at the high school, was arrested in connection with the fatal shooting, according to the authorities.
"I never imagined that I would be speaking to the media over... the pure evil that happened today," Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith said, adding that the suspect surrendered without incident when confronted by officers.
"He gave up, got on the ground, and the deputy took him into custody," added Smith.
Gray will be charged with several counts of murder and tried as an adult, investigators announced.
It's unclear what type of weapon he allegedly used.
A motive remains under investigation.
Among the survivors is special education teacher David Phenix, his daughter, Katie Phenix, wrote on Facebook.
"There was a shooting this morning at Apalachee High School and my dad was shot in the foot and in the hip, shattering his hip bone. He arrived to the hospital alert and awake. He just got out of surgery and is stable," wrote Katie.
An adult with a gunshot wound to the stomach, and a student with unspecified injuries, were also injured CNN reported, citing an unauthorized source. Both victims are being treated at Piedmont Athens Regional Hospital in northern Georgia.
The Grady Health System in Atlanta received one gunshot victim, as well.
At least one gunshot victim was transported to Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Barrow County, and another victim was taken to Northeast Medical Center in Gainesville, Georgia, according to WSB-TV.
During a news briefing earlier Wednesday, Smith said the investigation was "very active and ever-developing," describing the shooting as an "evil thing" according to WANF-TV.
"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. Brian 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."
According to U.S. News & World Report, approximately 1,900 students attend Apalachee High.
