The FBI says a boy accused of killing 4 individuals at a Georgia highschool was interviewed by police final yr over nameless on-line threats.
Colt Grey, 14, denied to police in Might 2023 that he was behind a web based submit that posted footage of weapons and warned of college shootings.
Investigators say a suspect opened hearth Wednesday at Apalachee Excessive College in Winder, killing two lecturers and two college students. Eight college students and one instructor have been injured.
He was arrested on campus and will likely be charged as an grownup.
Police recognized the victims as lecturers Christina Irimie and Richard Aspinwall, and 14-year-old college students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo.
At a press convention, Chris Horsey, director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, stated the gun used was an “AR platform weapon.”
The FBI stated in a press release that its Nationwide Menace Operations Middle issued an alert to native regulation enforcement in Might 2023 after receiving an nameless tip about “on-line threats to commit college shootings at unknown places and instances.”
The company stated investigators decided inside 24 hours that the menace originated in Georgia.
U.S. Environmental Safety CompanySheriff’s deputies interviewed the boy and his father, who “said he had shotguns in the home however the topic was unable to make use of them with out supervision,” the FBI stated.
The suspect, who was 13 on the time, denied making the threats on-line, and officers “reminded native colleges to proceed monitoring the incident.”
“At the moment, there was no possible trigger to make an arrest and no extra regulation enforcement motion was taken on the native, state or federal stage,” the FBI assertion added.
Getty PhotographsSheriff Jud Smith described the assault as “pure evil” and stated officers responded to a 911 name at 10:20 native time (14:20 GMT). Arriving on the scene inside minutes.
Two officers dispatched to the college “instantly encountered the boy,” the sheriff stated, including that the boy “instantly surrendered.”
Chief Smith stated the boy was interviewed whereas in custody and spoke to investigators as soon as.
The sheriff added {that a} motive has not but been established and regulation enforcement shouldn’t be conscious of “any targets right now.”
ReutersCollege students described chaotic scenes as an attacker was alerted on campus. Apalachee colleges started lessons final month, however many college students throughout the US will return to high school this week.
Lyela Sayarath, who was within the alleged attacker’s class, informed CNN that the suspect left the classroom initially of the algebra class.
She stated he got here again and knocked on the door, which locked itself, however one other scholar refused to let him in after discovering he had a gun.
Leila informed CNN that the attacker then went to the classroom subsequent door and began taking pictures.
Marques Coleman, 14, stated he noticed the attacker holding a “massive gun” simply earlier than the taking pictures.
“I stood up and began operating and he began taking pictures, about 10 instances. He shot a minimum of 10 instances,” he informed BBC America accomplice CBS Information.
“My instructor began blocking the door with desks,” he stated.
After standing up, the scholar stated he noticed “one in every of my classmates on the bottom bleeding profusely,” one other woman had been shot within the leg and a buddy had been shot within the stomach.
A vigil was held Wednesday night time within the metropolis of 18,000 residents, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) from Atlanta.
That is the twenty third college taking pictures in the US in 2024, and such assaults have killed 11 individuals and injured 38 thus far this yr, in response to a database maintained by Training Week journal.
David Riedman, director of the Okay-12 College Taking pictures Database, informed Reuters the taking pictures in Georgia was the primary “deliberate assault” on a faculty this fall semester.
