The FBI has confirmed that the suspected gunman who killed two students and two teachers and injured nine others at a Georgia high school on Wednesday had been on the FBI’s radar as a possible threat since last year.
In a joint statement, the FBI’s Atlanta field office and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office said the agency’s National Threat Operations Center received an anonymous tip about threats posted online regarding a possible school shooting in May 2023.
Authorities said the threats included images of weapons.
Within 24 hours of receiving the anonymous tip, investigators determined that the threats originated in Georgia and referred the case to the Sheriff’s Office.
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A police officer works near the scene of a shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia on Wednesday. (Reuters/Elijah Nouveau)
“The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office located a possible offender, a 13-year-old boy, and interviewed him and his father,” the FBI said. “The father stated he had hunting weapons in the house, but the offender did not have unsupervised access to them.”
Authorities said the boy denied the threats and alerted local schools to monitor the child.
“At that time, there was no probable cause for an arrest or for further law enforcement action at the local, state or federal level,” the FBI said.
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Police gather outside Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, following a school shooting on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
On Wednesday, authorities identified Colt Gray, now 14, as the gunman who killed two students and two teachers at Apalachee High School. Gray turned himself in to authorities and was taken into custody after the shooting.
“As an addition to the joint statement just released, the individual identified as a 13-year-old is the same individual in custody in connection with today’s shooting at Apalachee High School,” the FBI said.
Authorities said he is expected to face murder charges as an adult.
Investigators are still trying to determine whether anyone was specifically targeted, but they are not aware of any connections between Gray and the victims.
Authorities are “looking at every aspect of this individual, his connection here to the school,” said Chris Hosey, director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Gray was 13 years old in May 2023 when the FBI referred the threat to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office. The family lived in Jackson County at the time and has since relocated to Barrow County, Georgia, according to an FBI source.
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Police vehicles are seen outside Apalachee High School after a shooting in Winder, Georgia, on Wednesday that left an unknown number of people injured and one suspect arrested. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Georgia authorities have released the identities of the deceased and injured victims of the Shooting at Apalachee High Schoolbut a woman came forward and said her father had been shot.
In a public Facebook post on Wednesday, a woman named Katie Phenix said her father, David Phenix, was shot at the school.
“We are so grateful for all the texts, calls and messages about my dad, David Phenix,” the daughter wrote. “This morning there was a shooting at Apalachee High School and my dad was shot in the foot and hip, shattering his hip bone.”
“He arrived at the hospital awake and alert. He was just getting from the operation and is stable,” she added. “We will update you as soon as we receive new information. We are so lucky, but please pray for our family and the AHS family.”
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The Barrow County school system will close all schools for the rest of the week, said Dallas LeDuff, the county’s superintendent.
LeDuff said the Schools will be closed The district is cooperating “fully with law enforcement authorities” and grief counseling is available.
The FBI and Jackson County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano and Andrea Margolis contributed to this report.
