Suspect arrested after opening fire at Georgia school that killed four people
Police said they arrested a 14-year-old student accused of shooting his classmates and teachers at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia.
The FBI’s Atlanta division said Wednesday night that it had received threats over the past year in connection with then-13-year-old Colt Gray, the suspect in Wednesday’s shooting at Apalachee High School.
In May 2023, the National Threat Operations Center received anonymous tips about online threats to carry out a school shooting at an unknown location and time, FBI Atlanta posted on X, formerly Twitter.
The threats included pictures of guns, and the FBI determined that the posts originated in Georgia, specifically Jackson County. The FBI turned the evidence over to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, who interviewed Gray and his father, who said he had hunting weapons in the house, but Gray did not have access to them.
There was no sufficient suspicion at the time for an arrest or further police action, the post said. Jackson County asked local schools to continue to monitor the person.
Apalachee High School is located in Barrow County and is not part of Jackson County schools or any Jackson County city school. It is unknown if Gray attended a school in Jackson County before moving to the Barrow County School District.
GBI Director Chris Hosey confirmed the FBI’s information during a press conference at 9 p.m.
On Wednesday, Gray was identified by the GBI as the suspect in the shooting that killed two teachers and two students and injured nine others at Apalachee High School.
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office responded on Facebook with a message from Sheriff Janis Mangum.
“My phone is full of messages from people on social media posts about other possible incidents. To my knowledge, there is no list indicating such incidents,” the post said. “The investigation in Apalachee is ongoing. Please keep those affected by this tragedy in mind and continue to pray for everyone involved.”
