WINDER, Ga. − Parents expressed their concerns on Tuesday as uneasy students headed back to school, just days after a tragic incident where two students and two teachers were shot inside a local high school.

Fortunately, classes for the majority of the 15,000 students in the Barrow County School System resumed without major issues, although there was a significant police presence on site.

However, classes at Apalachee High School remain suspended after investigators reported that 14-year-old Colt Gray opened fire on September 4 with a rifle provided by his father, Colin Gray. Both Colt and Colin have since been arrested and are facing murder charges while being held in custody.

The tragedy resulted in the deaths of two students, Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both aged 14, along with two math teachers, Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Cristina Irimie, 53.

“We recognize that the upcoming days will be challenging, and some staff and students may not feel ready to come back to school,” Barrow schools Superintendent Dallas LeDuff communicated in a video message directed to the community.

Authorities have documented at least six threats to schools and potential copycat incidents across the state since the shooting at Apalachee. This includes the arrest of a 13-year-old for making online threats and a middle-school student who brought a handgun onto campus.

Details surrounding how Colt Gray carried out the attack and how he was subdued by officers who were present that day have not yet been released by investigators. While Apalachee High School lacks metal detectors, it recently implemented a new panic-button system for teachers, which several utilized during the incident.

Meanwhile, across the district, classes proceeded largely normally on Tuesday, apart from the unusually noticeable law enforcement presence of deputies and officers from the Georgia State Patrol.

At Apalachee High School, staff and administrators were in the building, but the parking lots for students remained void of cars, while colorful helium balloons danced in the sunlight under the American and Georgia flags, both at half-staff.

“Ms. Imrie, I’ll miss you with all my heart,” one student wrote in a note. “I was beginning to really enjoy algebra.”

Although the return to classes aims to help reestablish a sense of routine, the broader community will continue to feel the impact for many years, remarked Ronn Nozoe, CEO of the National Association of Secondary School Principals.

In some areas where school shootings have occurred, community members have found themselves divided as they argue over the response and recovery efforts of both authorities and parents.

“These events can tear communities apart,” Nozoe stated. “Their effects linger. Once something like this happens, you can’t undo it.”

The Barrow County public school system encompasses 10 elementary schools, four middle schools, and three high schools, employing around 2,000 full-time and part-time staff, including about 900 educators and certified personnel.

In his message to the community, Superintendent LeDuff indicated that mental health support teams would be provided in schools. He acknowledged “numerous decisions lie ahead” as the district transitions back to full operations. Following several school shootings, administrators often renovate or demolish affected buildings, or even alter alarm sound notifications and lunch menus to help reduce reminders of the event.

“I want to extend my gratitude to our law enforcement and first responders who have supported us during this unimaginable time,” LeDuff expressed, his voice wavering. “I want…

We want you all to know that we will navigate through this together. … Love will conquer all.”

A significant number of educators across the nation report feeling unsafe. A survey conducted by the panic-button provider for Barrow County schools revealed that almost 60% of teachers and administrators across the country have witnessed their colleagues leave due to safety issues.