Before kicking off their 2024 regular season on Sunday, the Atlanta Falcons will pay tribute to Apalachee High School in the wake of the deadly shooting that occurred at the school last week. As noted by NFL Media, the team will wear Apalachee High School Wildcats t-shirts during warmups. The Falcons host the Pittsburgh Steelers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, which is roughly 45 minutes away from the high school.
Four people were killed and nine more were hospitalized during the Winder, Georgia shooting. Mason Schermerhorn, 14, and Christian Angulo, 14, along with teachers Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Christina Irimie, 53, were the four who lost their lives.
“We went out to walkthrough today and [Head coach Raheem Morris] notified us of the shooting that took place not too far from here, so that was pretty sobering,” Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins told reporters this week. “Praying for the families that are affected, the school, the community, and it’s a tough deal. Going to go home tonight and hug and kiss my kids.”
The suspect was identified as 14-year-old Colt Gray, who was a student at the school. Gray was taken into custody alive and will be charged with murder and “handled” as an adult, according to CBS News.
