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WINDER, Georgia (WUPA) — The mother of Apalachee High School shooting victim Mason Schermerhorn says she remains caught between gratitude for the time she had with her son and the pain of losing him too soon.
“I’m stuck in a weird place because I’m so privileged that I was his mom and I got to call him my son,” Breanna Schermerhorn said. “But I wish I had him longer.”
Now, her family is preparing to pursue accountability in civil court.
Attorney Mike Puglise, who represents the Schermerhorn family, said he plans to file a lawsuit against the Barrow County School System and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office. He claims warning signs involving school shooter Colt Gray were missed before the deadly attack at Apalachee High School.
“As far as I’m concerned, I’m dealing with the civil litigation, bringing those responsible — mainly the government entities — to account for what happened,” Puglise said.
Puglise pointed to the response on the morning of the shooting, when Gray’s mother reportedly contacted the school and warned that her son was acting erratically and had access to firearms.
“Thirty-six minutes elapsed from the time that they first received a call from the mother saying her son was acting delusional and he had access to firearms,” Puglise said. “They needed to get to him. You don’t just put it on the back burner, and when you receive the information, you make sure you get the right student.”
Puglise also raised questions about how the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office handled an FBI tip involving Gray months before the shooting.
Puglise claims the detective who investigated the tip should have taken additional steps.
“He didn’t report back to the FBI anything about what he found,” Puglise said. “He didn’t report it to the other schools in the surrounding areas — Barrow County — to say, ‘We have a problem. This kid needs to be red-flagged.'”
The family’s attorney said the planned civil case is not simply about financial compensation. He said it is intended to force accountability and strengthen protections for other students.
“I was at the funeral, at the celebration of life. What a remarkable young man,” Puglise said. “He had his whole future ahead of him. Tell me, how do I write a check for that? What is going to take that grief away? Nothing.”
“It’s about protecting those children, protecting those kids,” he added. “Priceless.”
Puglise had already filed the legal notices required under Georgia law.
They expect to file the civil lawsuit in the coming weeks.
CBS News Atlanta reached out to Jackson’s Sheriff’s Office and Barrow County School System. Jackson’s Sheriff Office did not respond by the time of publication.
In a statement, Barrow County School System said:
“Thank you for understanding that we cannot comment on potential litigation, court proceedings, or investigations. Our priority remains the well-being and safety of our students, staff, and families. We are committed to maintaining a supportive learning environment while serving our community with integrity and care.”
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