Sayarath, a junior at the school, described Gray as a “quiet” student who often skipped class.“He never really talked; he wasn’t around much and would skip class,” Sayarath revealed, as reported by Daily Mail. “When he did speak, it was just one-word answers.” Her description, though seemingly benign, now casts a dark shadow over the school’s atmosphere.
On the morning of the shooting, Gray excused himself from algebra class around 9:45 am, moments before the chaos erupted. Sayarath, oblivious to the impending horror, assumed he was just skipping class again. “I didn’t think much of it,” she admitted.
The calm before the storm was shattered by a loudspeaker announcement urging teachers to check their emails. Sayarath recounted that Gray reappeared at the classroom door, only to be met with shock when a classmate opened it to see him brandishing a gun. “He saw we weren’t going to let him in, and then he just started shooting in the classroom next to ours,” Sayarath said.
Panic ensued as bullets rang out. Sayarath described the chaos: “The sound of the bullets made everyone drop to the floor, and we piled on top of each other for cover.” Her voice trembled as she recalled her friend from the adjacent classroom emerging covered in blood, limping, and visibly horrified. “He looked horrified,” Sayarath said.
The violence claimed the life of 14-year-old Mason Schermerhorn, the first identified victim. Schermerhorn, an autistic student, was tragically shot in the attack. His family expressed their heartbreak, revealing the deep loss felt by the community.
Gray, who injured at least nine others, surrendered to authorities without resistance. Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith confirmed that Gray complied with law enforcement’s commands and lay on the ground.
The motive behind the shooting remains unclear, and authorities are investigating how Gray acquired the firearm used in the attack. The names of the other three victims have not yet been released.
As students fled the campus and parents rushed to find their children, the scene outside the school was described as “pure chaos.” The shooting, which began around 10:23 am, left the community grappling with the sudden and violent disruption of their day-to-day lives.