Make sure firearms are securely stored.

This was the advice given to Colin Gray when sheriff’s deputies came to look into a school shooting threat in May 2023. Sixteen months later, Gray’s 14-year-old son, Colt, is charged with opening fire at his high school, resulting in the deaths of two students and two teachers, and injuring nine others.

Both Colin Gray and his son now face legal consequences, with Gray charged with second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter, and child cruelty for allegedly allowing his son access to guns, despite being aware of the potential danger.

Experts indicate that it’s not surprising the May 2023 inquiry did not prevent this recent tragedy.

“There are limitations to what law enforcement can do to prevent a mass shooting before it occurs,” stated Adam Winkler, a law professor and gun policy authority from UCLA.

“It’s essential to have realistic expectations in a society that possesses over 400 million guns and where acquiring them is relatively easy,” Winkler added.

Was the accused shooter under FBI watch?

The idea that the shooting suspect had been monitored by the FBI for more than a year is misrepresentative of law enforcement protocols, according to Katherine Schweit, a former FBI agent and founder of the agency’s active shooter program.

“Just because someone comes into contact with law enforcement doesn’t mean they have the authority to continually check into that person’s life,” Schweit emphasized.

What actions were taken by law enforcement in 2023?

The FBI notified local authorities about threats made on Discord regarding a potential school shooting. They traced those threats back to an address associated with Colin Gray and his son, who had moved from Jefferson, Georgia.

The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office contacted them, and the then-13-year-old Colt claimed he hadn’t made the threats and mentioned he deleted his Discord account due to hacking, as per the sheriff’s report. When further investigation on the threat’s source using IP addresses was conducted, they could not confirm the threat was made by him, as the account appeared to have been accessed from various locations across the United States.

Colin Gray informed them that while he had hunting rifles at home, his son did not have unsupervised access to them.

“I advised Colin to secure his firearms,” noted Daniel Miller Jr., the lead investigator.

Why wasn’t more action taken by the authorities?

Since there was no verification of who made the threat and due to the teen’s denial, the case was labeled as “exceptionally cleared,” as detailed in Miller’s report.

“At this moment, owing to the conflicting nature of the information provided to the FBI, we cannot confirm that either Colt or Colin was behind the Discord account that issued the threat,” wrote Miller.

The FBI’s Atlanta office stated that the county informed schools to keep an eye on the student; however, there was no probable cause that warranted further law enforcement action.

“Without any evidence suggesting a crime is currently happening or going to happen, law enforcement officers cannot legally arrest someone or seize weapons that they own,” Schweit elaborated.

Georgia also lacks a “red flag” law, which would empower authorities to confiscate weapons from individuals deemed a threat.

Who should take responsibility in preventing school shootings?

The May 2023 inquiry highlights some of the limitations law enforcement encounters when addressing threats.

“Law enforcement must routinely assess threats and situations and make swift determinations; they can’t simply arrest everyone, nor do we want that,” Schweit stated. “Each day, countless officers face this challenge.”

At the same time, some prosecutors are pushing to hold parents liable when their children commit violent acts using firearms that are linked to them.

Colin Gray’s situation marks only the second instance in the U.S. where a parent of a mass school shooter has faced legal charges for the deaths resulting from their child’s actions. Recently, Jennifer and James Crumbley received sentences of 10 to 15 years in prison for involuntary manslaughter in connection with a mass shooting perpetrated by their son at a high school in Michigan.

A law enforcement warning serves as a crucial alert for parents

Though the law enforcement visit in Georgia didn’t lead to any arrests or confiscations, experts believe it could have played a significant role in preventing the tragedy.

“Concerns were raised regarding the child’s ability to access firearms,” Winkler noted. The advice to secure guns illustrates that the parent was “aware of the risks.”

Schweit pointed out that any indicators that the suspect might have shown in the past year could have been perceived by the community, not solely by law enforcement. She emphasized that shootings reveal deeper cultural and societal failures.

“Each time a shooting occurs, there are failures involved. This is undeniable,” Schweit stated. “We must be more vigilant in recognizing troubled individuals. Additionally, we should be aware of when these individuals have access to firearms.”