Cherokee HS shooting plot: Warrants reveal new details
Warrants reveal new Cherokee HS plot details
Arrest warrants reveal new details about an alleged plot to attack Cherokee High School in Canton, including claims that three suspects obtained floor plans and selected a date for the attack. The FBI uncovered the plot after identifying threatening social media posts and notifying school police. All three suspects face conspiracy to commit murder charges, and the Cherokee County school superintendent says district safety protocols and law enforcement helped prevent the plan from becoming an attack. FOX 5 Atlanta anchor Alex Whittler breaks it down.
CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. - Three people are charged in an alleged plan to attack Cherokee High School in Canton after investigators found threatening social media posts and alerted school police, according to arrest warrants obtained by The Associated Press.
ORIGINAL STORY: 3 arrested in alleged Cherokee High School shooting plot
What we know:
The FBI identified the posts and notified school police, who then contacted the Canton Police Department, the warrants say. Investigators allege 17-year-old Shane Taylor, of Metter, Georgia, and 21-year-old Michael Terry, of Chatsworth, California, reached an agreement with a former Cherokee High School student to provide weapons.
The suspects also discussed acquiring protective equipment and other gear, and selected Aug. 20, 2027, as the date for the attack, according to the warrants. Investigators have collected firearms, ammunition and electronic devices as evidence.
Cherokee County School District Superintendent Mary Elizabeth Davis praised first responders and said district safety procedures worked. In a video message, she said, "The processes and protocols of CCSD worked, and that the network of law enforcement partners is vigilant is reassuring. But it unfortunately does not entirely take away my personal emotions, and I know it won’t completely eradicate yours either. But when I put my head down tonight, what I do know is that CCSD is a district of safe schools."
Charges and court status
What's next:
All three suspects are charged with conspiracy to commit murder. The former student, who is a minor and is not being identified, also is charged with disrupting public school operations.
Taylor, 17, is considered an adult under Georgia law. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Nov. 13. Terry is awaiting transfer from California to Georgia. Investigators are still working to determine how the three suspects knew one another and whether Terry had a prior connection to Georgia.