Quick Hit:

The FBI has admitted that Colt Gray, the 14-year-old suspect in the deadly shooting at Apalachee High School Wednesday, had been previously known to its agency for making school shooting threats in 2023. Gray, who killed four people on Wednesday, had denied the threats at the time, and no further action was taken after his interview.

Key Details:

Colt Gray, the suspect in Wednesday’s shooting at Apalachee High School in Georgia, had been investigated by the FBI in 2023 over online school shooting threats.
Gray was 13 at the time and denied the allegations, leading authorities to take no further action, though schools were alerted to monitor him.
Gray surrendered immediately after the shooting, which killed two students and two teachers. He will be charged with murder as an adult.

Diving Deeper:

Colt Gray, the 14-year-old suspect in the Apalachee High School shooting, was previously investigated by the FBI after receiving anonymous tips in 2023 about school shooting threats. The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office identified Gray as a potential suspect at the time and questioned both him and his father. While Gray denied making any threats, and no probable cause was found to take further action, local schools were advised to keep him under watch.

Gray allegedly used an AR-style weapon in Wednesday’s shooting, which occurred at around 10:30 a.m., resulting in the deaths of two 14-year-old students, Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angelo, and two teachers, Richard Aspinwall and Christina Irimie. Nine others, including special education teacher David Phenix, were hospitalized with gunshot wounds.

Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Chris Hosey confirmed that authorities are examining any potential links between the 2023 investigation and the current shooting, noting that Gray’s family had contact with local children’s services. "We are pursuing that avenue as well to see if that has any connection with today's incident," Hosey said during a press briefing.

Following the shooting, Gray surrendered to two school resource officers and is now in custody. He will be charged with murder as an adult, officials stated. "This is everybody’s worst nightmare," Georgia Governor Brian Kemp said at the scene Wednesday evening, offering condolences and calling for prayers for the victims and their families.