Georgia school shooting suspect was questioned over online threats: FBI

WE BEGIN WITH THE LATEST ON A HIGH SCHOOL SHOOTING IN GEORGIA THAT LEFT TWO TEACHERS AND TWO STUDENTS DEAD — WITH 9 OTHER PEOPLE INJURED. 

AUTHORITIES ARE NOW GIVING US MORE DETAILS ABOUT THE SHOOTER. 

A 14 YEAR OLD — WHO OFFICIALS SAY WAS INVESTIGATED LAST YEAR FOR THREATS HE MADE ONLINE. 

THE GUNMAN WAS EVEN INTERVIEWED IN CONNECTION WITH THREATS TO CARRY OUT A SCHOOL SHOOTING IN 2023 — ACCORDING TO THE FBI. 

JUST BEFORE 10:30 IN THE MORNING ON WEDNESDAY — GUNFIRE WAS REPORTED AT APALACHEE HIGH SCHOOL — ABOUT 45 MILES FROM ATLANTA. 

A SHERIFF’S DEPUTY WORKING AS A SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER ENGAGED WITH THE SHOOTER — IDENTIFIED AS “COLT GRAY” — AND THE TEEN IMMEDIATELY SURRENDERED. 

OFFICIALS SAY THE SUSPECT WILL BE CHARGED WITH MURDER AND TRIED AS AN ADULT. 

THE VICTIMS — TWO FOURTEEN YEAR OLD STUDENTS. 

A 53-YEAR-OLD MATH TEACHER AND A SECOND MATH TEACHER, A 39-YEAR-OLD WHO ALSO COACHED AS THE DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR FOR THE SCHOOL’S FOOTBALL TEAM ACCORDING TO THE SCHOOL’S WEBSITE. 

EIGHT OTHER STUDENTS AND ONE TEACHER WERE TAKEN TO HOSPITALS WITH GUNSHOT WOUNDS AND ARE EXPECTED TO SURVIVE.  

SCHOOL WILL BE CLOSED THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK WITH CRISIS COUNSELORS ON SCHOOL CAMPUSES AS STUDENTS GRAPPLE WITH THE TRAGEDY THEY HAVE NOW EXPERIENCED. 

Landon Culver | 11th grader 

“I was listening and you can hear gunshots. just ringing out through the school and you’re just wondering which one of those is going to be somebody that you’re, like, best friends with or somebody that you love. 

you hear about this kind of stuff and you, like, never think it’s going to happen to you until, like, it’s happening. And then, like, once you’re in that, it’s like, this is, like, really happened. It’s like a surreal experience.”  

THE SHOOTER WAS A POSSIBLE SUSPECT IN CONNECTION WITH THREATS MADE ONLINE LAST YEAR USING PHOTOS OF GUNS AND THREATENING TO SHOOT UP A SCHOOL. 

COLT GRAY WAS 13 AT THE TIME. He WAS INTERVIEWED, AND DENIED MAKING THE THREATS — AUTHORITIES SAY THERE WAS NO PROBABLE CAUSE TO ARREST HIM THEN BUT HAD TOLD LOCAL SCHOOLS TO “CONTINUE MONITORING THE SUSPECT.” 

GRAY’S FATHER WAS ALSO INTERVIEWED A YEAR AGO OVER THE ONLINE THREATS — 

TO WHICH THE FATHER TOLD INVESTIGATORS HE HAD HUNTING GUNS INSIDE THE HOME BUT HIS SON DID NOT HAVE UNSUPERVISED ACCESS TO THEM. 

ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL WEDNESDAY — 

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS WAS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE OFFERING MORE INSIGHT INTO WHAT HER ECONOMIC POLICIES LOOK LIKE. 

AND FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP TOOK PART IN A TOWN HALL HOSTED BY FOX NEWS’ SEAN HANNITY. 

DURING THE INTERVIEW — TRUMP HIGHLIGHTED HARRIS’ STANCE ON FRACKING — SAYING IN 2019 SHE WOULD BAN IT IF ELECTED BUT SAYS SHE WOULD NOT BAN IT NOW. 

TRUMP WAS IN PENNSYLVANIA AND KEPT MUCH OF THE FOCUS ON THE BATTLEGROUND STATE. 

HANNITY ASKING TRUMP HOW THE 2024 ELECTION DIFFERS FROM THE ELECTION HE WON IN 2016. 

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP 

“It’s not that different. it’s still about the forgotten man and forgotten woman. peoplea are being treated horribly in the country. we’re a country that’s being laughed at all over the world. 

it’s very simple and it starts with make america great again, that’s what we have to do. fade applause.” 

MEANWHILE — HARRIS WAS IN NEW HAMPHSIRE — DISCUSSING MORE OF HER TAX PLAN IF ELECTED IN NOVEMBER. 

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS 

my plan will make our tax code more fair while also prioritizing investment and innovation. So let us be clear, billionaires and big corporations must pay their fair share in taxes. applause” 

HARRIS IS PROPOSING AN INCREASE TO THE “LONG-TERM CAPITAL GAINS TAX RATE” — BUT NOT AS HIGH AS WHAT WAS IN BIDEN’S RE-ELECTION AGENDA. 

HARRIS SAYS SHE WANTS TO RAISE THE TAX RATE TO 28 PERCENT — UP FROM THE CURRENT 20 PERCENT RATE. 

 BIDEN HAD CALLED FOR A 39.6 PERCENT TAX RATE. 

HARRIS REITERATING ON STAGE SUPPORTING TAXING THE WEALTHY AND CORPORATIONS AT HIGHER RATES 

PROPOSING RAISING THE CORPORATE TAX RATE TO 28 PERCENT – UP FROM THE CURRENT 21 PERCENT RATE SET BY TRUMP IN 2017. 

TRUMP LOOKING TO CUT THE CORPORATE TAX RATE TO 15 PERCENT IF ELECTED FOR A SECOND TERM.

IT’S LESS THAN A WEEK NOW UNTIL THE FIRST DEBATE BETWEEN TRUMP AND HARRIS — AND THEY’VE NOW AGREED ON THE RULES. 

THE DEBATE — WHICH WILL HOSTED BY A-B-C — WILL BE MODERATED BY WORLD NEWS TONIGHT ANCHOR DAVID MUIR AND A-B-C NEWS ANCHOR LINSEY DAVIS. 

IT’LL BE 90 MINUTES LONG WITH TWO COMMERCIAL BREAKS. 

THERE WILL BE *NO* AUDIENCE IN THE ROOM AND MICROPHONES WILL ONLY BE TURNED ON FOR THE CANDIDATE WHOSE TURN IT IS TO SPEAK. 

THE MODERATORS WILL BE THE ONLY ONES ALLOWED TO ASK QUESTIONS. 

TRUMP WON A VIRTUAL COIN FLIP HELD ON TUESDAY — AND CHOOSING TO MAKE THE LAST CLOSING STATEMENT. 

THEY’LL GET TWO MINUTES EACH. 

EACH CANDIDATE WILL ALSO GET TWO MINUTES TO ANSWER EACH QUESTION WITH A TWO-MINUTE REBUTTAL — AND ONE ADDITIONAL MINUTE FOR A FOLLOW-UP, CLARIFICATION, OR RESPONSE. 

BECAUSE TRUMP GOT TO CHOOSE THE CLOSING STATEMENT ORDER, HARRIS CHOSE THE PODIUM PLACEMENT. 

SHE’LL BE AT THE RIGHT PODIUM ON THE SCREEN.

THE U-S GOVERNMENT WANTS TO INVESTIGATE CHINESE E-COMMERCE WEBSITES SHEIN AND TEMU. 

IN AN OPEN LETTER — TWO LEADERS OF THE CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION ACCUSED THE ONLINE COMPANIES OF SELLING QUOTE “DEADLY BABY AND TODDLER PRODUCTS.” 

THEY WANT THE COMMISSION TO LOOK INTO HOW THE WEBSITES COMPLY WITH U-S SAFETY LAWS… CITING “RECENT MEDIA REPORTS” THAT DANGEROUS PRODUCTS MEANT FOR KIDS ARE EASY TO FIND ON BOTH SITES. 

THIS IS JUST THE LATEST PROBE INTO THE COMPANIES — BOTH OF WHICH HAVE BEEN UNDER SCRUTINY FOR HOW THEY’RE ABLE TO SELL THINGS FOR SUCH LOW PRICES AND HOW MUCH ENVIRONMENTAL WASTE THEY CREATE… AS WELL AS CONCERNS OVER THE POTENTIAL USE OF FORCED LABOR.

BOEING’S EMBATTLED “STARLINER” WILL BEGIN ITS TRIP BACK TO EARTH TOMORROW — WITHOUT THE TWO ASTRONAUTS WHO RODE IT INTO SPACE. 

NASA SAID EVERYTHING IS ON TRACK FOR THE UNCREWED DEPARTURE OF THE STARLINER CAPSULE — AS LONG AS WEATHER FORECASTS REMAIN CLEAR AT ITS LANDING SITE IN NEW MEXICO. 

THE RETURN WILL MARK THE FINAL PHASE OF A TEST FLIGHT THAT DID NOT GO AS PLANNED. 

STARLINER’S FIRST CREWED TRIP TO SPACE WAS SUPPOSED TO PROVE BOEING COULD RELIABLY BRING ASTRONAUTS TO AND FROM THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION — SO NASA COULD CERTIFY IT TO DO SO. 

BUT ISSUES THAT POPPED UP JUST AFTER LAUNCH HAVE LEFT ASTRONAUTS BUTCH WILMORE AND SUNI WILLIAMS STUCK ON THE SPACE STATION SINCE JUNE. 

THEIR MISSION WAS ONLY SUPPOSED TO LAST ABOUT A WEEK. 

NOW THEY CAN’T COME HOME UNTIL FEBRUARY — WHEN THEY’LL BE PICKED UP BY SPACE-X ON ITS NEXT MISSION TO THE I-S-S.

FINALLY, THIS MORNING – ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL? TONIGHT IS KICKOFF OF THE 2024 NFL SEASON – WHEN THE REIGNING SUPER BOWL CHAMPIONS THE KANSAS CITY CHIEFS HOST THE BALTIMORE RAVENS. 

TONIGHT’S GAME STARTS A WEEKEND OF FOOTBALL ACTION – INCLUDING THE FIRST NFL GAME TO BE PLAYED IN BRAZIL WHEN THE PHILADELPHIA EAGLES MEET THE GREEN BAY PACKERS FRIDAY NIGHT. THAT GAME WILL BE A STREAMING EXCLUSIVE –AVAILABLE ONLY ON PEACOCK. 

THEN THE FIRST SUNDAY OF THE NFL CALENDAR WILL SEE 13 GAMES BEING PLAYED – WITH ANOTHER FIRST – THE  BUFFALO BILLS ANNOUNCING SAFETY DAMAR (DUH-MAR) HAMLIN WILL BE STARTING DURING THE TEAM’S GAME AGAINST THE ARIZONA CARDINALS. 

THIS WILL BE HAMLIN’S FIRST START SINCE SUFFERING A CARDIAC ARREST ON THE FIELD IN JANUARY 2023. 

THEN WEEK 1 WRAPS UP MONDAY NIGHT WITH THE NEW YORK JETS AND THE SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS.