A church near the Winder, Georgia, school where four people were shot and killed on Wednesday has been reaching out to the community, and congregants say they have many ties to the school. A 14-year-old boy is accused of shooting and killing two students and two teachers and wounding nine more at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, about an hour northeast of Atlanta. The students were Christian Angulo and Mason Schermerhorn, both 14, math teacher Christina Irimy and assistant football coach Richard “Ricky” Aspinwall.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that the suspect, 14-year-old Colt Gray, had previously been under police investigation for making gun threats.
More than $200,000 was raised on GoFundMe within 24 hours to support the surviving family.
Bethlehem Church in Winder, about three miles from the school, “has many members who are connected to Apalachee High School, including students, teachers and coaches.” Baptist PressNews Service of the Southern Baptist Convention.
“God is with those who are hurting, and we want to get that across,” Pastor Jason Britt told Baptist Press. “We live in a world of evil and hurt, and this is a solemn reminder that we see it all around us. But our hope is in the gospel, and we believe that is deliverance from the pain.”
First Baptist Church in Winder has several students who attend the school. No one was killed or injured.
“It's going to be hard and I don't think we'll ever be the same,” First Winder student pastor Mitch Norman told Baptist Press. “It's like the way we view ourselves as a church and a community has completely changed in just a few minutes.”
“It's tough. All of our plans for the next year are going to be rescheduled or completely changed, and that's OK. That's what God wants us to do, so we're just taking one minute at a time right now and just listening to people and grieving with them.”
As of Thursday morning, a GoFundMe fundraiser had raised $118,000 for Aspinwall's widow and children.link), and $60,000 for the Anglo family (link), and $35,000 to Schermerhorn's family (link) and $13,000 to Irimie's family (link(Schermerhorn and Irimy’s campaign was launched after the first two fundraisers.)
“We're united,” one fundraiser said.
Christian leaders have called for prayers for the families.
“Please join me in praying, especially for those who have lost loved ones and for those hurt by this senseless act of evil,” evangelist Franklin Graham said. said“May God's comforting hand be upon them.”
Reports are that a shooting has occurred at Apalachee High School in Georgia, leaving four people dead and approximately 30 injured. Please join me in praying, especially for those who have lost loved ones and those who have been injured in this senseless act of evil, and may God's comforting hand be upon them. https://t.co/qOiEi5FBpQ
— Franklin Graham (@Franklin_Graham) September 4, 2024
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Jessica McGowan/Stringer
Michael Faust He has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years, and his work has appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, Christian Post, Leaf Chronicle, Toronto Star and Knoxville News Sentinel.
