US school shooting suspect, 14, questioned about threats last year

In a tragic incident at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, a 14-year-old boy named Colt Gray has been accused of a horrific act that has left the community in shock. On a Wednesday, Colt allegedly opened fire at his school, resulting in the deaths of two teachers and two students. The victims have been identified as teachers Christina Irimie and Richard Aspinwall, along with 14-year-old students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo. In addition to the fatalities, eight students and one teacher sustained injuries during the attack. Colt was apprehended on the school grounds and will face prosecution as an adult, which is a significant legal step given his young age. This incident is particularly alarming because it follows a previous investigation into Colt's behavior. Last year, he was questioned by law enforcement after the FBI received anonymous tips about online threats he allegedly made. These threats included disturbing images of firearms and warnings about a potential school shooting. When police interviewed Colt in May 2023, he denied being responsible for the threatening posts. His father informed the authorities that they owned hunting guns, but Colt did not have unsupervised access to them. At that time, law enforcement did not find enough evidence to arrest him or take further action. The FBI's National Threat Operations Center had alerted local police about the online threats, and within a day, they traced the origin of these threats back to Georgia. The community held a vigil to honor the victims, demonstrating the collective grief and support for those affected by this tragedy. Sheriff Jud Smith described the attack as 'pure evil' and noted that officers were on the scene within minutes of receiving emergency calls. Colt surrendered to the police without resistance. As investigations continue, authorities have not yet identified a clear motive for the attack, and they are still trying to understand if Colt had specific targets in mind. Students who were present during the shooting recounted the chaos that unfolded. Lyela Sayarath, a classmate of Colt's, shared her experience of the moments leading up to the shooting. She mentioned that Colt left the classroom during an algebra lesson and later returned, knocking on the door. However, another student noticed he was armed and refused to let him in. Colt then moved to the adjacent classroom, where he began shooting. Another student, Marques Coleman, described seeing Colt with a 'big gun' just before the chaos erupted. He recounted how he started running as soon as the shooting began, and he witnessed his teacher barricading the door with desks to protect the students. The community is grappling with the aftermath of this tragic event, which marks the 23rd school shooting in the United States this year alone. Many are calling for increased measures to ensure the safety of students and staff in schools across the nation.