FBI had Georgia school shooter on radar since 2023 due to online threats.
The FBI confirmed that the Apalachee High School shooter was flagged in 2023.
Since last year, the FBI had identified the alleged shooter who killed two students and two teachers and wounded nine others at a Georgia high school Wednesday as a potential threat.
The FBI's Atlanta field office and Jackson County Sheriff's Office announced that the National Threat Operations Center received an anonymous tip about threats posted online regarding a possible school shooting in May 2023.
The agencies said that the threats contained images of guns.
The sheriff's office was referred the matter within 24 hours of determining that the threats originated in Georgia.
"The FBI stated that the Jackson County Sheriffs’ Office found a possible suspect, a 13-year-old male, and questioned him and his father. The father admitted to having hunting guns in the house, but the subject did not have unrestricted access to them."
Authorities were informed by the agencies that the boy rejected any involvement in the threats, prompting local schools to keep a watchful eye on the child.
The FBI stated that at that time, there was no probable cause for arrest or any additional law enforcement action on the local, state, or federal levels.
On Wednesday, it was revealed that Colt Gray, now 14, was the shooter responsible for killing two students and two teachers at Apalachee High School. Gray subsequently surrendered to authorities and was arrested.
The FBI stated that the subject in custody for the shootings at Apalachee High School is the same 13-year-old mentioned in the Joint Statement.
Authorities said he is expected to be charged as an adult with murder.
Despite not being aware of any known connections between Gray and the victims, investigators are still trying to determine if anyone was specially targeted.
Chris Hosey, the director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, stated that authorities were examining every aspect of the individual's connection to the school.
In May 2023, when the FBI referred the threat to the Jackson County Sheriff's office, Gray was 13 years old. The family, who resided in Jackson County at the time, have since relocated to Barrow County, Georgia.
One woman disclosed that her father was shot in the Apalachee High School shooting, while Georgia authorities have not revealed the identities of the deceased and wounded victims.
On Wednesday, Katie Phenix shared on Facebook that her father, David Phenix, was shot at school.
"My dad, David Phenix, was shot in the foot and hip this morning at Apalachee High School, resulting in a shattered hip bone. We are grateful for all the messages, calls, and texts about him."
""He was alert and awake upon arriving at the hospital after surgery. He is now stable, and we will provide updates as new information becomes available. We are incredibly fortunate, but please remember to keep our family and the AHS family in your thoughts and prayers," she stated."
Dallas LeDuff, the superintendent of Barrow County School System, announced that the schools will remain closed for the rest of the week.
The district will cooperate fully with law enforcement while schools are closed, and grief counseling will be provided.
Planet Chronicle Digital's Louis Casiano and Andrea Margolis contributed to this report.
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