An Apalachee High School sophomore changed his mind about going to the bathroom moments before shots rang out in the hallway — and said he would “probably be dead right now” had he gone.
The shaken 10th-grader said he was considering stepping out of the class shortly before the alleged gunman, Colt Gray, 14, opened fire at the northeastern Georgia school Wednesday morning, killing four people and injuring nine others.
The boy said he’d “probably be dead” if he had decided to go to the bathroom. WXIA-TV“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 11Alive, which did not name him.
Just a few seconds later, the student heard gunshots nearby.
“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.
Though he was able to safely evacuate, he knew some of those who did not escape the shooting unharmed.
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“I know my teacher. He got shot. I know one of my friend’s friends got shot in the leg,” the 10th-grader told the outlet.
The four victims were identified as teachers Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Christina Irimie, 53, and students Mason Schermerhorn, 14, and Christian Angulo, 14.
Gray surrendered to officers at the scene and was taken into custody, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
He allegedly used an AR-15-style weapon.
Gray is expected to be charged with murder and tried as an adult, officials said.
He was previously investigated by the FBI over alleged school shooting threats he made online.
Gray’s dad told investigators at the time that he had hunting guns in the house — but insisted his son did not have unsupervised access to them, according to the FBI’s statement.
