Presidential nominees, Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump, have both provided statements about Wednesday’s school shooting in Winder, Georgia, that left four dead and injured at least nine more.
During her visit to New Hampshire on Wednesday, Vice President Harris departed from her prepared remarks to address the Apalachee High School shooting.
Before delivering her planned speech at a rally in Portsmouth, where the Democratic presidential nominee intended to outline her small business proposals, Harris took a moment to reflect on the shooting that left four dead and nine injured.
Right, Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump gestures after speaking at the Moms for Liberty annual convention in Washington, Friday, Aug. 30, 2024.Left, Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris arrives at Portsmouth International Airport in Portsmouth, N.H., for campaign events, Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024.
Associated Press
“It is just outrageous that every day in the United States of America, parents have to send their children to school worried about whether or not their child will come home alive,” Harris said.
She then recounted a personal experience from earlier this year, when she toured a school and spoke with students. Harris recalled asking how many of them had participated in active shooter drills. To her dismay, nearly every student raised their hand.
“They are sitting in a classroom where they should be fulfilling their God-given potential, yet some part of their big, beautiful minds is worried about a shooter breaking through the door,” Harris said. “It doesn’t have to be this way.”
Harris also posted on X, formerly Twitter on Wednesday, “Today, Doug and I are mourning the deaths of those whose lives were cut short by gun violence at Apalachee High School in Georgia. Our hearts are with the students, teachers, and families impacted by this shooting, and we are grateful to the first responders and law enforcement on the scene. This is a senseless tragedy — and it does not have to be this way. We must end the epidemic of gun violence in our country once and for all.”
Students and parents walk off campus at Apalachee High School, Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024, in Winder, Ga.
Associated Press
In a post on his Truth Social platform, former President Trump wrote, “Our hearts are with the victims and loved ones of those affected by the tragic event in Winder, GA. These cherished children were taken from us far too soon by a sick and deranged monster.”
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) identified the suspect Wednesday afternoon as 14-year-old student Colt Gray.
The agency confirmed four casualties, including two students and two teachers, and nine hospitalized after the mass shooting on Wednesday morning. Gray is in custody, and he will be charged with murder and tried as an adult according to the GBI.
Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith said during a press conference this afternoon that the shooting was first reported at 9:30 a.m. Smith called the shooting an “evil thing” and said the investigation is “active and ever-developing.”
This is a developing news story and will be updated with more information.
