BREAKING: FBI says accused Georgia high school shooter was on FBI's radar last year

Fox News

4 Sept 202401:58

Summary

TLDRA 14-year-old in Georgia is in custody, accused of a tragic school shooting that resulted in four deaths. Previously, the FBI had been alerted about the suspect when he was 13, after receiving anonymous tips about online threats to commit a school shooting. The FBI's National Threat Operations Center identified the posts' origin in Georgia, and local authorities interviewed the then 13-year-old and his father. Despite denials and assurances of no unsupervised access to firearms, the teenager is now charged with killing two students and two teachers.

Takeaways

🔍 The FBI had been monitoring the shooter for over a year before the incident.
📅 The FBI's National Threat Operations Center received anonymous tips about online threats in May 2023.
🔥 The online threats included photographs of guns and a plan to commit a school shooting.
📍 The FBI traced the online posts to Georgia and informed the Jackson County Sheriff's Office.
👮‍♂️ The Jackson County Sheriff's Office interviewed a 13-year-old suspect and his father.
🚫 The teenager and his father denied the allegations of making online threats.
🏫 Authorities alerted local schools to monitor the suspect, who was then 13 years old.
🔄 The suspect is now 14 years old and is in custody for shooting and killing four people.
👨‍🏫 The victims include two students and two teachers at the school.
⚖️ The case highlights the ongoing challenges in preventing school shootings despite prior warnings.

Q & A

What is the latest update on the school shooting in Georgia?
-The FBI and Jackson County Sheriff's Office have confirmed that the 14-year-old accused of killing four people had been on their radar before.
When did the FBI first receive information about the shooter?
-The FBI's National Threat Operations Center received several anonymous tips about online threats to commit a school shooting in May of 2023.
What was the content of the online threats that the FBI received?
-The online threats contained photographs of guns and an unspecified threat to commit a school shooting at an unidentified location and time.
How quickly did the FBI identify the origin of the online posts?
-Within 24 hours, the FBI determined that the online posts originated in Georgia.
What action was taken by the Jackson County Sheriff's Office after receiving information from the FBI?
-The Jackson County Sheriff's Office located a 13-year-old suspect, interviewed him and his father, and alerted local schools for continued monitoring of the suspect.
What did the father say about the guns in the house during the interview?
-The father stated that he had hunting guns in the house but that his son did not have unsupervised access to them.
Did the teenager admit to making the online threats?
-The teenager denied making the online threats.
How old is the suspect now and what is he accused of?
-The suspect is now 14 years old and is accused of shooting and killing two students and two teachers.
What was the relationship between the suspect's age when the FBI was notified and his current age?
-The suspect was 13 years old when the FBI was notified of possible threats made by him, and he is now 14 years old.
What is the current status of the suspect in relation to the school shooting?
-The suspect is in custody.
Were there any specific measures taken by the authorities to prevent the shooting after the initial threats were made?
-Authorities interviewed the suspect and his father, alerted local schools for continued monitoring, and kept the suspect on their radar.

Outlines

00:00

🔍 School Shooter on FBI Radar

A 14-year-old suspect accused of killing four people in a school shooting in Georgia had been previously known to the FBI. The FBI's National Threat Operations Center received anonymous tips in May 2023 about online threats to commit a school shooting. The threats included photos of guns, and the FBI quickly traced the posts to Georgia. The Jackson County Sheriff's Office interviewed the then 13-year-old suspect and his father, who claimed the son did not have unsupervised access to his hunting guns. The teenager denied making the threats, and authorities alerted local schools to monitor him. Now 14, he is in custody for the shooting that killed two students and two teachers.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡FBI

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States, which is responsible for investigating federal crimes and threats to national security. In the context of the video, the FBI is central to the narrative as they had been monitoring the alleged shooter for over a year, highlighting the role of law enforcement in preventing and responding to violent incidents.

💡School Shooting

A school shooting is a tragic event where firearms are discharged in an educational institution, often resulting in casualties. The video's theme revolves around a specific incident that left four dead in Georgia, underscoring the ongoing issue of gun violence in schools and the need for enhanced security measures and threat assessments.

💡National Threat Operations Center

The National Threat Operations Center is likely a reference to a facility or unit within the FBI that focuses on identifying and responding to threats to national security. In the script, it is mentioned that this center received anonymous tips about online threats to commit a school shooting, indicating its role in monitoring and acting on potential threats.

💡Anonymous Tips

Anonymous tips are pieces of information provided to authorities without revealing the identity of the informant. In the video, the FBI's National Threat Operations Center received several anonymous tips about online threats, which initiated the investigation into the potential school shooter. This term is crucial as it illustrates the methods used by law enforcement to gather intelligence.

💡Georgia

Georgia refers to the U.S. state where the tragic school shooting took place. The location is significant as it sets the scene for the events described in the video and is part of the broader discourse on gun violence and school safety in different regions of the United States.

💡Jackson County Sheriff's Office

The Jackson County Sheriff's Office is a local law enforcement agency mentioned in the video as being involved in the investigation of the school shooting. It collaborated with the FBI, demonstrating the coordination between federal and local authorities in response to threats and incidents.

💡Threat Assessment

Threat assessment is the process of evaluating the credibility and potential impact of a threat, often with the goal of preventing harm. In the video, the FBI and local authorities conducted a threat assessment on the 13-year-old who made online threats, which is a critical part of managing and mitigating risk in such situations.

💡Custody

Custody refers to the state of being detained or imprisoned, usually by law enforcement. In the context of the video, the 14-year-old accused of the shooting is in custody, which means he has been apprehended and is awaiting legal proceedings, emphasizing the legal consequences of such violent acts.

💡Monitoring

Monitoring in this context means the continuous observation and tracking of an individual or situation. The video mentions that local schools were alerted to continue monitoring the suspect, which is a common practice in threat management to ensure the safety of the community.

💡Hunting Guns

Hunting guns are firearms used for hunting wildlife. In the video, the father of the suspect stated that he had hunting guns in the house, which were the weapons potentially accessible to the teenager. This term is significant as it relates to the source of the firearms used in the shooting and raises questions about gun storage and access.

💡Unsupervised Access

Unsupervised access implies that someone has the ability to use or handle something without direct oversight. The video notes that the father claimed his son did not have unsupervised access to the hunting guns, which is a critical detail in understanding how the teenager may have obtained the weapons used in the shooting.

Highlights

Four people were killed in a tragic school shooting in Georgia.

The shooter was a 14-year-old who had been on the FBI's radar for over a year.

The FBI's National Threat Operations Center received anonymous tips about online threats to commit a school shooting in May 2023.

The online threats included photographs of guns.

The FBI's Atlanta Field Office informed the Jackson County Sheriff's Office about the posts' origin in Georgia.

The Jackson County Sheriff's Office interviewed a 13-year-old suspect and his father.

The father stated that the son did not have unsupervised access to his hunting guns.

The teenager denied making the online threats.

Authorities alerted local schools for continued monitoring of the suspect.

The suspect is now in custody, accused of shooting and killing two students and two teachers.

The FBI had been aware of the potential threat for over a year before the incident.

The suspect was 13 years old when the FBI was first notified of possible threats made by him.

The FBI and local law enforcement took immediate action upon receiving the anonymous tips.

The shooter's online posts were traced back to Georgia within 24 hours of the FBI receiving the tips.

The Jackson County Sheriff's Office played a crucial role in locating and interviewing the suspect.

The incident highlights the importance of monitoring and responding to online threats.

The community is left in shock and mourning following the school shooting.