How Did the FBI Miss Warning Signs? 14-Year-Old Georgia High School Shooter Was on Their Radar After 2023 Online Threats

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By Danielle Ong , Parent Herald Sep 05, 05:02 am

Photo: (Photo : Megan Varner/Getty Images)

A 14-year-old male student identified as the suspect in a mass shooting at a Georgia high school Wednesday morning was previously investigated by authorities over online school shooting threats.

On Wednesday, 14-year-old Colt Gray shot at students and teachers at the Apalachee High School in Georgia. Following the shooting, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Atlanta released a joint statement with the Jackson County Sheriff's Office where they revealed that Gray had been investigated by bureau officials in 2023 in connection to "online threats to commit a school shooting."

That online threat did not specify a location or time. However, it did include photographs of guns, the statement noted.

What Happened to the FBI Investigation?

Following the online threats, the FBI said they interviewed Gray and his father---the latter of whom confirmed that he had hunting guns in the house but said his son did not have unsupervised access to the weapons. The FBI also said Gray had denied making the online threats.

The FBI said they did not find probable cause to arrest Gray or to take additional action at the time. However, officials noted that they alerted local schools to continue monitoring then-13-year-old Gray.

Apalachee High School Mass Shooting

Wednesday's shooting incident led to the deaths of two students and two teachers whose identities authorities have not disclosed. Nine other people at the school were also hospitalized with gunshot wounds, including two victims who were airlifted to the hospital, per New York Post.

Speaking at a news conference Wednesday night, Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith said all hospitalized victims are expected to survive.

A law enforcement official said Gray used an AR-15-style rifle in the mass shooting, as first reported by CNN. It was not immediately clear how the 14-year-old obtained the weapon. It was also unclear what motive was behind the shooting and whether Gray had specific targets.

After the shooting, officials said the 14-year-old immediately surrendered. Gray is currently in police custody and will be charged with four counts of murder. He will be tried as an adult.