The boy was already on law enforcement radar since May of last year when he and his father were interviewed by authorities after the FBI received anonymous tips from fellow gamers that the boy threatened to commit a school shooting. Gray denied it. Although his father admitted to having hunting rifles in the home, he said his son did not have unsupervised access to the weapons. No probable cause was found and no arrest was made.

Authorities identified the fatalities as two 14-year-old students, Mason Schermehorn and Christian Angulo, and two teachers, Richard Aspinwall and Christina Irimie.

Student Lyela Sayarath said the shooter, who rarely spoke and sometimes skipped school, left her algebra class and then tried to get back in.

"I saw students go back to open the door for him. And they backed away. I'm guessing they saw something, but for some reason, they didn't open the door. And I could see him kind of turn to the side, like what would have been my right, and then you hear gunshots. Was about ten to fifteen of them, at once, back to back," she said.

Students retreated to the football field where many formed a circle in the end zone praying and holding hands.

"I was scared," said student Alexandra Romero. "I have so much fear. I'm like shaking."

Student Joshua Maloch feared the worst. "I might not get to see my family again," he thought. "My brother - I was scared he might not make it out."

Terrified parents rushed to the school, many already communicating with their children. One mother texted her daughter the Lord's Prayer. Others spoke by phone.

"I said, 'Son, please tell me you're joking,'" one mother recalled. "He said, 'No Mom, I'm not joking.' He said, 'There's shooting in the school and the shooter is right across the hall from me.'"

Investigators are trying to determine how the shooter obtained the AR-style rifle used in the killings, which the suspect surrendered when an armed school resource officer confronted him.

"The shooter quickly realized that if he did not give up that it would end with an O.I.S. - an officer-involved shooting," Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith told reporters.

Wednesday evening a number of prayer meetings took place at various churches and other locations in the community. Winder First Baptist Church Pastor Chad Mantooth told CBN News it's just the first step on the long road towards healing.

"We have a wonderful, wonderful community of faith here, tremendous churches that are right now beginning that process of how to help people through this and minister to people," he said. "We live in a fallen, sinful world, and because of that, unfortunately tragedies like this are going to take place." (Screengrab image: via CBN News)

Pastor Mantooth said since Winder is a tight-knit community, this tragedy affects everyone.

"We're always wanting to drive people back to the reality that there is a God who deeply loves us, who mourns over this, but who also offers redemption and salvation and hope in the midst of such tragedy," he said. "Life, the Bible says, is like a vapor, and we do not know how long we have, and we do not know when that life will come to an end in this physical body. But we do know that if we've trusted in Christ, and we have salvation that is granted to us by grace through faith in Him, then our hope is secure."

Similarly, Sheriff Smith ended his remarks at a Wednesday afternoon news conference by saying, "Hate will not prevail in this county. I want that to be very clear and known. Love will prevail over what happened today." Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here

To receive daily emails from Breaking Christian News to your inbox CLICK HERE

Why the New RomCom ‘MERV’ Can Bring You Joy This Christmas

How the 'Heavens Declare the Glory of God': What One Man's Research Has Revealed about The Star of Bethlehem

Over 50 Tren de Aragua Gang Members Imported Under Democrats Indicted in Nebraska in Massive Nationwide ATM Jackpotting Scheme

205 Child Victims Located and Rescued in DOJ Sex Exploitation Op

Trump Admin Pausing All Off Shore Wind Project Construction Due To National Security Concerns

Trump Grants Federal Workers Two Additional Christmas Holidays

America Fest 2025: Erika Kirk Endorses 'My Husband's Friend' JD Vance for President

Brent Bozell Confirmed as US Ambassador to South Africa

Jury Quickly Convicts Judge Who Helped Illegal Migrant Escape ICE

Feds Estimate Somali-Linked Fraud in Walz's Minnesota Could Top $9 Billion

Trump SUSPENDS 'Green Card Lottery' after Program Let Brown University–MIT Shooting Suspect Enter the US

Brown, MIT Shooter Found Dead for Days in NH Storage Unit; Motive Still a Mystery

House Passes Bill to Criminalize Transgender Mutilation of Children

November Inflation Falls to 2.7%, Lower than Expected: 'This Is Good News for Wall Street; It’s Good News for Main Street'

MOVIEGUIDE's Review of the New Animated Film: DAVID

Massachusetts Drops Controversial Gender Ideology Mandate for Licensing Foster Care Parents

Nearly 40% of Women Suffer Severe Grief for Years after Abortion, Miscarriage: Study

Former Pfizer Vice President: COVID Shots Were 'Designed to Cause Injury,' Reduce Fertility

Dutch Sheets Shares a Warning from the US National Counterterrorism Center

Venezuela: Trump's Pressure Campaign and Maduro's Fury