KUALA LUMPUR – A 14-year-old boy has been slapped with four counts of murder after allegedly shooting four people dead at a US high school, local authorities said today, assuring that the country will continue investigating the latest gun violence outburst.
The teen is facing four felony murder counts for the death of two fellow schoolmates, who are the same age as him, as well as two teachers at Apalachee High School in Georgia on Wednesday, AFP reported.
The attack also injured at least nine other people – eight students and one teacher – who were taken to hospitals.
Meanwhile, a CNN report citing unnamed sources mentioned that the gun used in the shooting, described as an AR 15-style assault rifle, was a “holiday gift” bought by the boy’s father.
The FBI said the teen was brought to its attention more than a year ago for threats to commit a school shooting.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation, meanwhile, said the suspect would be charged as an adult. It said that he would appear in court on Friday (Saturday in Malaysian time). Additional charges are expected.
“The investigation into the shooting at Apalachee HS is still active and ongoing,” the agency said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
“This is day 2 of a very complex investigation and the integrity of the case is paramount,” it continued, adding that all four victims would be autopsied tomorrow.
Shockingly, school shootings are a regular occurrence in the US, where guns outnumber people and regulations on purchasing firearms, even military-style rifles, are lax.
Parental responsibility in mass shootings by minors has been a topic of interest lately, in line with the increase in such cases.
“How could you have an assault rifle – a weapon in a house – not locked up and knowing your kid knows where it is?” lamented President Joe Biden, speaking to reporters in Wisconsin as quoted by AFP.
“You’ve got to hold parents accountable if they let their child have access to these guns.”
In April this year, James and Jennnifer, aged 47 and 46 respectively, became the first parents of a school shooter convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the United States for the actions of their child.
They received 10 to 15 years in prison after their teenage child killed four people in a Michigan school shooting.
This year alone, there have been at least 384 mass shootings, which are shootings involving at least four victims – across the US, according to the Gun Violence Archive. – September 6, 2024