Georgia School Shooting Suspect, 14, Was Interviewed by Authorities Over Alleged Threats in May 2023

Mar. 15, 2025

In astatement, the FBI’s Atlanta Division said that in May 2023 it received anonymous tips regarding online threats, including pictures of guns, to commit a school shooting at an unknown time and location. Those threats led authorities to the then 13-year-old suspect.

“The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office located a possible subject, a 13-year-old male, and interviewed him and his father,” FBI Atlanta continued in their statement. “The father stated he had hunting guns in the house, but the subject did not have unsupervised access to them. The subject denied making the the threats online.”

The FBI also said there was no probable cause for an arrest or any further law enforcement action, but local schools were notified for “continued monitoring of the subject.”

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Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith and other members of law enforcement at Apalachee High School in Winder, Ga.Megan Varner/Getty

Megan Varner/Getty

Nine others were taken to various hospitals with injuries, according to authorities.

The suspected shooter will be charged with murder, GBI Director Chris Hosey said.

Winder, located in Barrow County, is located around 50 miles outside Atlanta.

source: people.com