A teen charged with killing 4 people at a Georgia high school was interviewed about online threats

Jeff Amy, Associated Press

WINDER, Georgia (AP) — The teen charged pinch opening occurrence astatine a Georgia precocious schoolhouse was interviewed by constabulary much than a twelvemonth agone arsenic they looked into online posts threatening a schoolhouse shooting, but investigators did not person capable grounds for an arrest, officials said.

The 14-year-old fishy has been charged arsenic an big successful nan shooting Wednesday extracurricular Atlanta that killed 4 group and wounded nine. He is accused of utilizing an assault-style firearm to termination 2 students and 2 teachers successful nan hallway extracurricular his algebra classroom, Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Chris Hosey told a news conference.

It was nan latest among dozens of schoolhouse shootings crossed nan U.S. successful caller years, including particularly deadly ones successful Newtown, Connecticut; Parkland, Florida; and Uvalde, Texas. The schoolroom killings person group disconnected fervent debates astir weapon power and frayed nan nerves of parents whose children are increasing up accustomed to active-shooter drills. But location has been small alteration to nationalist weapon laws.

RELATED | Gunman believed to beryllium a 14-year-old successful Georgia schoolhouse shooting that near astatine slightest 4 dead, root says

Classes were canceled Thursday astatine Apalachee High School, though immoderate group came to salary respects by leaving flowers astir nan flagpole and kneeling successful nan writer pinch heads bowed. Among them was Linda Carter, who lives nearby. Though she has nary children attending nan school, Carter said nan rampage near her angry and hurting.

“I’m upset, I’m crying constantly,” Carter said. “These kids shouldn’t person mislaid their lives. These parents, these adults, these teachers should not person mislaid their lives yesterday.”

When nan fishy slipped retired of people Wednesday, Lyela Sayarath figured her quiet classmate who precocious transferred was skipping schoolhouse again. But he returned later and wanted backmost into nan room. Some students went to unfastened nan locked doorway but alternatively backed away.

“I’m guessing they saw something, but for immoderate reason, they didn’t unfastened nan door,” Sayarath said.

The teen past turned nan weapon connected group successful a hallway, authorities said.

He has been charged successful nan deaths of students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, some 14, and teachers Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Christina Irimie, 53, Hosey said. The teen was to beryllium taken Thursday to a location younker detention facility.

When nan teen was not allowed backmost into his classroom, Sayarath said she heard a barrage of gunshots.

“It was astir 10 aliases 15 of them astatine once, backmost to back,” she said.

The mathematics students fell to nan level and crawled around, looking for a safe area to hide.

Two schoolhouse assets officers encountered nan shooter wrong minutes of a study that shots had been fired, Hosey said. The teen instantly surrendered and was taken into custody.

At slightest 9 different group — 8 students and 1 coach astatine nan schoolhouse successful Winder — were taken to hospitals. All were expected to survive, Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith said. Authorities were still looking into really nan teen obtained nan weapon and sewage it into nan schoolhouse pinch astir 1,900 students successful a quickly processing area connected nan separator of metro Atlanta’s ever-expanding sprawl.

“All nan students that had to watch their teachers and their chap classmates die, nan ones that had to locomotion retired of nan schoolhouse limping, that looked traumatized,” Sayarath said.

It was nan 30th wide sidesplitting successful nan U.S. truthful acold this year, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today successful business pinch Northeastern University. At slightest 127 group person died successful those killings, which are defined arsenic events successful which 4 aliases much group dice wrong a 24-hour period, not including nan slayer — nan aforesaid meaning utilized by nan FBI.

The teen had been interviewed aft nan FBI received anonymous tips successful May 2023 astir online threats to perpetrate an unspecified schoolhouse shooting, nan agency said successful a statement.

The FBI narrowed nan threats down and referred to nan lawsuit to nan sheriff’s section successful Jackson County, which is adjacent to Barrow County.

The sheriff’s agency interviewed nan then-13-year-old and his father, who said location were hunting guns successful nan location but nan teen did not person unsupervised entree to them. The teen besides denied making immoderate online threats.

The sheriff’s agency alerted section schools for continued monitoring of nan teen, but location was nary probable origin for apprehension aliases further action, nan FBI said.

Hosey said nan authorities Division of Family and Children’s Services besides had erstwhile interaction pinch nan teen and will analyse whether that has immoderate relationship pinch nan shooting. Local news outlets reported that nan teen’s family location successful Bethlehem, Georgia, was searched Wednesday.

On Wednesday evening, hundreds gathered successful Jug Tavern Park successful downtown Winder for a vigil. Volunteers handed retired candles. Some knelt arsenic a Methodist curate led nan crowd successful dream aft a Barrow County commissioner publication a Jewish dream of mourning.

Christopher Vasquez, 15, said he attended nan vigil because he needed to consciousness grounded and beryllium successful a safe place.

He was successful set believe erstwhile nan lockdown bid was issued. He said it felt for illustration a regular drill arsenic students lined up to hide successful nan set closet.

“Once we heard banging astatine nan doorway and nan SWAT (team) came to return america out, that’s erstwhile I knew that it was serious,” he said. “I conscionable started shaking and crying.”

He yet settled down erstwhile he was astatine nan shot stadium. “I conscionable was praying that everyone I emotion was safe,” he said.