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The FBI claims the bureau didn’t immediately examine the suspect behind the tragic Georgia highschool mass taking pictures this week.
The scholar shooter accused of opening fireplace at Apalachee Excessive College on Wednesday was anonymously reported to the FBI in 2023 over on-line threats and “presumably threatened to shoot up a center faculty” in a gaggle chat on messaging app Discord.
Fox Information Digital spoke with representatives of the FBI in Atlanta, who mentioned the bureau had not interview the suspect and had not gone to his residence. As an alternative, the FBI supplied the knowledge from the nameless tip to the Jackson County Sheriff.
Native legislation enforcement officers with the sheriff’s division carried out a deeper investigation and interviewed the daddy of the suspect, documented in a report that would not substantiate the threats.
VIDEOS TAKEN INSIDE APALACHEE HIGH SCHOOL SHOW GUN, ORDERED EVACUATIONS
Folks attend a vigil at Jug Tavern Park following a taking pictures at Apalachee Excessive College in Winder, Georgia. (REUTERS/Elijah Nouvelage)
Throughout the investigation, the suspect “expressed concern that somebody is accusing him of threatening to shoot up a college, stating that he would by no means say such a factor, even in a joking method,” in line with a report from the interviews.
The officer investigating the nameless suggestions discovered that the knowledge despatched to the FBI was communicated through numerous IP addresses internationally: Palmdale, California; Los Angeles, California; and Cockburn, Australia. He additionally reviewed the e-mail tackle and telephone quantity associated to the case — in addition to the person profile linked to the threats.
The profile title, written in Russian, referenced the perpetrator of the Sandy Hook Elementary College bloodbath in Newtown, Connecticut.
GEORGIA HIGH SCHOOL SHOOTING: AUTHORITIES IDENTIFY TWO TEACHERS, TWO STUDENTS AS VICTIMS KILLED
A screenshot from a video reveals the alleged shooter’s weapon used within the mass taking pictures at Apalachee Excessive College in Winder, Georgia. (Alexsandra Romero/Joel Romero through Storyful)
“[The Apalachee suspect] acknowledged he stopped utilizing Discord as a result of too many individuals saved hacking his account, and he was afraid somebody would use his info for nefarious functions,” in line with the report.
“At the moment, as a result of inconsistent nature of the knowledge acquired by the FBI, the allegation that [the Apalachee shooting suspect or his father] is the person behind the Discord account that made the risk can’t be substantiated,” the investigating officer wrote in 2023. “This case might be exceptionally cleared.”
An FBI supply informed Fox Information Digital that if there isn’t a fast risk to life, it’s protocol to tell native legislation enforcement, present info, and have them examine suggestions.
“There’s solely a lot you are able to do if you get these warnings,” former FBI agent Rob D’Amico informed “FOX & Pals First” on Thursday.
GEORGIA SCHOOL SHOOTING INVESTIGATORS ZERO IN ON 14-YEAR-OLD SUSPECT’S INTERNET HISTORY, PAST: EXPERT
Vehicles are parked on the edges of a highway as legislation enforcement officers work on the scene of a taking pictures at Apalachee Excessive College in Winder, Georgia. (REUTERS/Elijah Nouvelage)
“The native officers went out and interviewed the daddy, interviewed the son — he denied making these on-line threats,” D’Amico continued. “The daddy mentioned that the son didn’t have unfettered entry to the weapons. They did what they may, after which they left as a result of there was no possible trigger to take different motion.”
A spokesperson for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation tells Fox Information Digital that the dad and mom of the suspected shooter “have been cooperative up till this level.”
The remark got here in response to a query relating to whether or not authorities are investigating the shooter’s dad and mom within the wake of Wednesday’s assault, which left 4 lifeless and 9 others injured.
The suspect has been booked into the Gainesville Regional Youth Detention Heart, in line with WSB-TV. The Gainesville Regional Youth Detention Heart is situated about an hour north of Apalachee Excessive College in Winder.
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Ladies cry whereas attending the vigil at Jug Tavern Park following a taking pictures at Apalachee Excessive College in Winder, Georgia. (Reuters/Elijah Nouvelage)
Matthew Fagiana, a retired police sergeant and legislation enforcement marketing consultant, informed Fox Information Digital that responding officers are zeroing in on the 14-year-old suspect’s previous and motive in the beginning of the investigation.
“Issues such because the timeline of the incident. A chronological historical past of the suspect main as much as the taking pictures, a deep look into the suspect’s previous for issues similar to interactions with the victims, the existence of any indications of violent conduct, statements or social media posts that would assist them develop a motive, and up to date web historical past,” he mentioned.
“And that, in fact, solely scratches the floor of the investigation,” he added.
Fagiana famous that responding businesses, together with the FBI’s Atlanta area workplace and Jackson County Sheriff’s Workplace, are combing the scene of Apalachee Excessive College to assemble an “correct image” of the suspect’s pathway via the varsity.
Fox Information Digital’s Greg Norman, Sarah Rumpf-Whitten and Stepheny Value contributed to this report.
Timothy Nerozzi is a author for Fox Information Digital. You may comply with him on Twitter @timothynerozzi and might e mail him at timothy.nerozzi@fox.com
FBI says native legislation enforcement investigated GA taking pictures suspect in 2023
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