FBI Says Authorities Knew About Georgia School Shooter In Advance

The FBI’s Atlanta field office released a statement on Wednesday following a tragic shooting at Apalachee High School in Georgia, where a 14-year-old boy killed two students and two teachers. The agency acknowledged they had previously been aware of the potential threat but stated they had “no probable cause” to make an arrest.

The FBI’s statement began: “FBI Atlanta responded earlier today to Apalachee High School following reports of an active shooter. Throughout the day, FBI personnel have been coordinating with and supporting local and state law enforcement. The FBI will dedicate all available resources, as requested, to seek justice and bring closure for the victims and their families.”

The FBI also detailed previous warnings about the suspect. “In May 2023, the FBI’s National Threat Operations Center received several anonymous tips about online threats to commit a school shooting at an unidentified location and time. The online threats contained photographs of guns. Within 24 hours, the FBI determined the online post originated in Georgia, and the FBI’s Atlanta Field Office referred the information to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office for action.”

The statement continued: “The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office located a possible subject, a 13-year-old male, and interviewed him and his father. The father stated he had hunting guns in the house, but the subject did not have unsupervised access to them. The subject denied making the threats online. Jackson County alerted local schools for continued monitoring of the subject. At that time, there was no probable cause for arrest or to take any additional law enforcement action on the local, state, or federal levels.”

On Wednesday, authorities identified 14-year-old Colt Gray as the shooter responsible for the deaths of two students and two teachers at the school. Gray has since surrendered to authorities and is in custody, facing murder charges as an adult, according to Fox News.

Chris Hosey, Director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, identified the two students killed as 14-year-olds Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo. The two teachers killed were identified as math instructors Richard Aspinwall and Christina Irmie.

Abner Efrain Sanz, a friend of Angulo, shared his reaction with a local news outlet, saying, “I just was like, this isn’t real. This can’t be happening. I was in denial, you know, because you would never believe that somebody that you knew would pass away just like that.”

Sanz, who did not attend Apalachee High School but knew Angulo from middle school, expressed the emotional toll the tragedy had taken on him: “I’m trying to process things, and I’m trying to cope by hanging out with my friends and just ignoring the situation in general. But it’s still affecting me. Like inside. It’s just a lot to manage.”

Reflecting on his friend, Sanz added, “He was really funny. He was always so energetic and so happy all the time. He was really just a good friend to be around.”

During a Fox News Town Hall on Wednesday night, former President Donald Trump addressed the shooting and offered his condolences. Host Sean Hannity raised the issue of violence in America, asking Trump about the current state of the nation.

Trump responded: “Well, it’s a sick and angry world for a lot of reasons, and we’re going to make it better. We’re going to heal our world. We’re going to get rid of all these wars that are starting all over the place.”