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    • Georgia high school shooting victims: Students, teachers mourn
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    Georgia high school shooting victims: Students, teachers mourn

    Vaseline Posted on

    Authorities said 14-year-olds Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, and teachers Richard Aspenwall and Christina Irimie, were killed in the attack.

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    ATHENS, Ga. — A rural Georgia community is mourning the loss of four people who died Wednesday after a 14-year-old student opened fire at a high school, sending students and staff into classrooms as schools across the region went into lockdown.

    The four victims who were killed were identified as two students and two teachers from Apalachee High School in Winder, an Atlanta suburb of 18,300. The attack, which also left eight students and one teacher wounded, sent shockwaves through the community.

    Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Chris Hosey confirmed Wednesday night that 14-year-olds Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, and teachers Richard Aspinwall and Christina Irimie, were killed in the shooting.

    Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith called the shooting “pure evil.”

    “This hits home because I was born and raised here,” Smith said at an earlier news conference on Wednesday. “My heart aches for these children. My heart aches for our community, but I want to make it very clear that hate will not prevail in this county. I want it to be very clear and known. Love will prevail over what happened today. I assure you of that.”

    Hundreds of community members gathered at Jug Tavern Park in downtown Winder for a vigil Wednesday night. Many held candles, bowed their heads and held each other as they prayed for the lives lost in the tragic shooting.

    Here’s what we know about the victims so far:

    Mason Shermerhorn, 14

    Schermerhorn’s mother confirmed to WSB-TV Atlanta that her son was killed in the attack.

    Schermerhorn was autistic and family members shared photos of him on social media when they could not reach him after the shooting, the local television station reported.

    Richard Aspinwall, 39

    Aspinwall taught math at Apalachee High School and was the defensive coordinator for the school’s football team. Head coach Mike Hancock mourned Aspinwall’s loss to the Winder community and his family on Wednesday night.

    “He was a great dad, husband and a great father,” Hancock said. “He loved his two daughters and he loved his wife. He happened to love football and he was very well respected in this area.”

    Aspinwall, a native of Rome, was one of the first players Hancock hired when he took over the Apalachee program last season. Aspinwall came from Mountain View High School in Lawrenceville to serve as defensive coordinator there.

    “We have a staff that is hurting,” Hancock added. “This staff has been together for two years and Ricky has been a big part of that. It’s tough.”

    Christina Irimie, 53

    According to the Barrow County Schools website, Irimie was a math teacher at Apalachee High School.

    Contributors: Sara Tidwell, Athens Banner-Herald

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