FBI Tipped Off About Georgia School Shooting Suspect A Year Ago, Agency Says

Local authorities questioned the Georgia school shooting suspect in 2023 following anonymous tips about alleged threats, The Washington Post reported.

The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office interviewed Colt Gray, then 13, in May 2023 after the FBI sent anonymous tips it received through its National Threat Operations Center, the Post reported. The officials, however, claimed there was no probable cause for arrest and Gray denied making any threats.

Four people were killed and at least nine hospitalized Wednesday during a school shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia. Director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Chris Hosey confirmed that Gray, 14 and a student at the school, was arrested after being confronted by officers.

Authorities also interviewed Gray’s father in 2023, who confirmed that while he owned hunting guns Colt did not have unsupervised access to them, the Post reported. The sheriff’s office informed local schools at the time to keep an eye on the situation.

“What should have been a joyous back-to-school season in Winder, Georgia, has now turned into another horrific reminder of how gun violence continues to tear our communities apart,” President Joe Biden said in response to the shooting.

Gray will be charged with murder and tried as an adult, Hosey said during a press conference.