Winder, Georgia – Law enforcement experts have spoken out following a horrific shooting at a small Georgia high school on Wednesday that left two students and two teachers dead and nine injured.
Matthew Fagiana, a former police sergeant and law enforcement consultant, told Fox News Digital that investigators were initially focused on the 14-year-old suspect's background and motives.
“This involves taking a detailed look at the suspect's past, including the timeline of events leading up to the shooting, the suspect's interactions with the victim, whether there were any indications of violent behavior, any statements or social media posts that may help us infer a motive, and any recent internet history,” he said.
“And of course, that's just scratching the surface of the investigation,” he added.
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Police officers work near the scene of a shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, on September 4, 2024. (Reuters/Elijah Nouvellaj)
Fagiana said responding agencies, including the FBI's Atlanta field office and the Jackson County Sheriff's Office, had thoroughly searched the scene at Apalachee High School and had a “precise picture” of how the suspect moved around the school.
“I can only imagine that a school crime scene is pretty extensive,” he said. “These scenes require very thorough investigation and evidence collection, including documenting the location of evidence and spent shell casings. They will be able to reconstruct the scene and present an accurate picture of the suspect's actions during the entry and shooting.”
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The 14-year-old suspect turned himself in to authorities after the assault and was taken into custody. Authorities said he is expected to be charged with murder as an adult.
“A key component in bringing a suspect into custody is the interview that is provided to investigators,” he said. “When you have an individual who commits a mass murder, one of the most important questions we are trying to answer is 'why.' Because many school shooters either kill themselves or are killed by police to prevent further harm to others, we are left without knowing 'why' and can only make inferences based on their history and the evidence left behind.”
“So once a suspect is in custody, law enforcement and professionals at various levels will hope to use the suspect's statements and evaluations to mitigate the chances of this happening again. I think most would agree that individuals who commit these types of crimes have something psychologically different about them than most of us, people who would never consider doing something like this.”
Police officers arrive as students evacuate to the football stadium after the school was placed on lockdown at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, on Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeff Amy)
Fagiana emphasized the importance of the school resource officers (SROs) who detained the students, saying “they saved lives.”
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“While we still don't know the details of the response, it's safe to assume that in the moments when SROs were able to restrain the suspect, many more lives were saved,” he said. “We have examples across the country of how SROs are critical to school safety and the safety of students and teachers. This is a critical piece of the puzzle in our efforts to mitigate the potential for school shootings.”
A still from an aerial video feed in Winder, Georgia, on Sept. 4, 2024. Students and staff gather next to the football field after police officers responded to a deadly shooting at Apalachee High School. (ABC affiliate WSB, via Reuters)
He noted the importance of balancing sensitive consideration of victims' families with informing the community.
“The vital priority now is supporting the victim's family. They are hurting and want answers and police will be committed to responding to their needs over the coming days,” Fagiana said.
“Law enforcement has several goals with regards to communications at this stage. The primary goal is to inform and listen to those in the community who are directly affected by this incident. And then, of course, the second goal is to inform the media and the communities around the world who are watching this incident closely.”
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“Law enforcement will work hard to balance providing the information they have with protecting the integrity of the investigation,” he said. “We have an individual on trial for murder. Their goal is to ensure that whatever information they release now does not jeopardize the prosecution of this suspect.”
The FBI and the Jackson County Sheriff's Office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's requests for comment.
