The FBI has claimed that they did not directly investigate the suspect involved in the tragic Georgia high school mass shooting that occurred this week. The student shooter was reported to the FBI anonymously in 2023 for making online threats and possibly threatening to shoot up a middle school in a group chat on Discord. The FBI provided this information to the Jackson County Sheriff but did not interview the suspect or visit his home. Local law enforcement officers conducted a deeper investigation, interviewing the suspect’s father, but could not substantiate the threats made by the suspect.
During the investigation, the suspect denied making any threats to shoot up a school, expressing concern that someone was falsely accusing him. The officer investigating the case found that the information sent to the FBI was communicated via various IP addresses across the world, including Palmdale, California, Los Angeles, California, and Cockburn, Australia. The profile name on Discord, written in Russian, referenced the perpetrator of the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre in Newtown, Connecticut. Due to inconsistencies in the information received by the FBI, the allegation that the suspect was the user behind the Discord account making threats could not be substantiated, and the case was cleared.
Former FBI agent Rob D’Amico explained that if there is no immediate threat to life, it is protocol for the FBI to inform local law enforcement and have them investigate the tips. In this case, the local officers interviewed both the suspect and his father, who denied the allegations of online threats. The parents of the shooter have been cooperative with authorities up to this point. The suspect has been booked into the Gainesville Regional Youth Detention Center, located about an hour north of Apalachee High School.
Retired police sergeant Matthew Fagiana explained that responding officials are focusing on the suspect’s past and motive at the start of the investigation. They are analyzing the timeline of the incident, the suspect’s interactions with the victims, any indications of violent behavior, statements or social media posts that could provide a motive, and recent internet history. Responding agencies, including the FBI’s Atlanta field office and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, are conducting a thorough investigation at Apalachee High School to construct an accurate picture of the suspect’s pathway through the school.
In response to questions about whether the suspect’s parents are being investigated, a spokesperson for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation mentioned that the parents have been cooperative so far. The FBI’s Atlanta field office and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office continue to work diligently to piece together the events leading up to the shooting. The suspect remains in custody as the investigation proceeds, with authorities actively working to uncover the motives behind the tragic incident.
