Teen Suspected of School Shooting Was on FBI Radar for Online Threats.
Colt Gray, a teenager suspected of shooting four people dead at a high school in Georgia last week, has been on the FBI’s radar since last year due to his connections with online threats about carrying out violence at an unidentified school. The FBI received multiple anonymous tips in May 2023 about potential violence and included photos of guns, according to a statement from the bureau’s Atlanta field office. The Jackson County Sheriffs’ Office identified Gray, who was then 13 years old, as a possible suspect, and both he and his father were interviewed by local investigators.
Gray’s father told the authorities that hunting guns were present in the house but denied that his son had unsupervised access to them. The teenager also denied making the threats. Although there was no probable cause for further action at the time, local schools were alerted and asked to continue monitoring Gray, as per the statement from the FBI.
Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Chris Hosey confirmed that authorities are investigating any possible links between the 2023 threats and the recent shooting at Apalachee High School in Georgia. This is not recent. This is in the past, but we wanted to bring that to your attention because we are pursuing that, working with the FBI on this in any connection to that incident that could be connected to today’s incident as well,” Hosey told reporters at a press briefing.
Gray allegedly used an AR-style weapon during the shooting, which occurred around 10:30 am on Wednesday morning. The victims were two students identified as Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angelo, both 14 years old, and two math teachers, Richard Aspinwall and Christina Irimie. Nine other people were rushed to local hospitals with gunshot wounds, including special education math teacher David Phenix. Gray immediately surrendered to the two school resource officers who responded to the shooting and was taken into custody.
The shooter’s motive remains under investigation as law enforcement continues to interview Gray, his family members, and other people associated with him. I don’t know why it happened. We may never know,” Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith said during a press conference at the scene. Colt Gray will be charged with murder as an adult, according to officials.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp told reporters that the community is in pain following the tragic incident and asked everyone to keep the victims’ families, educators, and students in their thoughts and prayers.
