A tragic school shooting in Apalachee High School on Wednesday has claimed the lives of four individuals, including two teachers and two students. The alleged shooter, 14-year-old Colt Gray, had previously been questioned by law enforcement over online threats and disturbing posts, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has confirmed.
In May 2023, the FBI’s National Threat Operations Center received tips about threatening online posts involving images of guns and warnings of a potential school shooting. Local police were alerted and interviewed Colt Gray, along with his father. At that time, the police found no grounds for arrest or further action, citing a lack of probable cause and noting that Gray did not have unsupervised access to firearms.
Despite these warnings, Gray was able to obtain an assault rifle and carry out the attack at Apalachee High School. Investigators say that Gray’s assault resulted in the deaths of two teachers and two students, with eight other students and one teacher sustaining injuries.
The school, which went into a lockdown following the reports of gunfire, communicated with parents about the emergency situation. Survivors recounted the harrowing moments when Gray began his assault. One student described seeing Gray leaving a classroom after a math lesson, only to return with a gun in hand. When Gray attempted to enter another classroom, a classmate refused to open the door despite his persistent banging.
Gray was apprehended at the school and will be tried as an adult. The incident has sparked renewed discussions on school safety and the effectiveness of current threat assessment protocols. Authorities are facing increasing scrutiny over the adequacy of their response to previous warnings and the measures in place to prevent such tragedies.
The FBI and local law enforcement are continuing their investigation into the circumstances leading up to the shooting and the broader implications for school safety and gun control policies.
Sources By Agencies
