WINDER, Ga. – Law enforcement experts discussed what Georgia agencies are focusing on as they continue to investigate the tragic shooting at Apalachee High School.
Matthew Fagiana, a former police sergeant and law enforcement consultant, told Fox News Digital that Georgia's top law enforcement agencies will continue to investigate Colt Gray's motives while also working on ways to prevent future mass shootings in the area.
The suspect, 14-year-old Gray, opened fire at the high school, killing two teachers and two students.
Georgia high school shooting suspect's father, Collin Gray, charged with murder, manslaughter, child abuse
Women cry as they take part in a vigil at Jug Tavern Park following the shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, USA, September 4, 2024. (Reuters/Elijah Nouvellaj)
The suspected shooter has been identified as 14-year-old student Colt Gray. (Barrow County Sheriff's Office)
1. What is the suspect's background?
Fagiana said police were looking at the 14-year-old boy's past and whether he had any contact with the victims.
“Authorities will be examining the timeline of events that led to the suspect's shooting,” he said. “They will also be looking at the suspect's past, including his interactions with the victim, whether there were any indications of violent behavior, and any statements or social media posts or recent internet history that could help them infer a motive.”
2. What was the suspect's route to the school?
Law enforcement experts said investigators will likely thoroughly search Gray's home and high 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.”
A medical helicopter arrives in front of the school after a shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Fagiana said police will likely reconstruct the scene and try to reconstruct the route the shooter took through the school.
“They will be able to recreate the scene and present an accurate picture of the suspect's entry and actions during the shooting,” he said.
3. What prompted the mass shooting?
Fagiana said investigators are trying to determine the suspect's motive for opening fire.
Georgia high school shooting suspect charged with felony murder: Live updates
“One of the key elements in bringing a suspect into custody is the interview that is provided to investigators,” he said. “When you have an individual who has committed a mass murder, one of the most important questions we are trying to answer is 'why?'”
“and Many school shootings “We often don't know the 'why' because victims either commit suicide or are killed by police to prevent further harm to others, and can only form theories based on the victim's history and the evidence left behind,” he said.
Georgia agencies provided an update on the Apalachee High School shooting on Thursday, September 5th. (Fox News Digital/Molly Markowitz)
On Thursday, Collin Gray, the father of the 14-year-old suspect, was arrested. Second-degree murder The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) made a related announcement on Thursday.
According to the GBI, Gray, 54, was charged with two counts of second-degree murder, as well as four counts of manslaughter and eight counts of child abuse.
4. How can we mitigate the risks to prevent future mass shootings?
Fagiana said law enforcement and agencies are considering what steps they can take to mitigate future mass shootings.
“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 something like this happening again,” he said. “I think most would agree that there's something psychologically different about people who commit these crimes than most of us – people who would never consider committing a crime like this.”
People attend a vigil at Jug Tavern Park following the shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, USA, September 4, 2024. (Reuters/Elijah Nouvellaj)
Click here to get the FOX News app
5. How can law enforcement help the community?
Fagiana said a “critical” priority was how local officials could comfort and support residents of Winder, Georgia, who faced devastating loss.
“The vital priority now is supporting the victim's family,” he said. “They are hurting and want answers and police will be fully committed to responding to their needs over the coming days.”
