School Safety + Remembering 9/11
Remembering 9/11 and School Safety Legislation
Friends—
This week has been a time of mourning and reflection as we observed the 23rd anniversary of 9/11, and continue to keep the families and loved ones of the Georgians lost in the Apalachee High School shooting in our thoughts and prayers.
On Wednesday, we joined alongside every American in reflecting on the tragedy of September 11, 2001. It was a day to honor the memory of those we lost, pay tribute to the men and women who courageously answered the call to defend our freedom in the months and years following, and remember the love for our country that united us after that fateful day.
We will never forget.
School Safety Legislative Priorities
On September 4, 2024, we watched in horror as four Georgians tragically lost their lives at the hands of a student whose intent was to carry out a despicable act of evil. While the tragedy we witnessed is unimaginable, the Georgia House has championed measures that prevented a much greater loss of life during the events at Apalachee High School.
I am committed to not only continuing our work in the House to bolster school security, increase access to mental healthcare, and keep our children safe—but to pursuing additional policies that help ensure a tragedy of this nature never happens in our state again.
Please see my letter to members of the House Republican Caucus outlining the measures we will consider next session below:
Members of the House Republican Caucus,
Last Wednesday, our state watched in horror as four Georgians were tragically murdered, and nine others seriously injured, at the hands of a student whose intent was to carry out a despicable act of evil. Our hearts are broken, and we mourn alongside the families, friends, and loved ones of those who were lost.
While there are still many questions that need to be answered, here’s what we know:
The FBI had previously referred Colt Gray, the alleged shooter, to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office for investigation in 2023 for making online threats to commit a school shooting. Gray’s father disclosed that there were hunting rifles in the house, but claimed that Gray did not have unsupervised access to the guns. Gray denied making the alleged threats. At that point, investigators deemed that no further action could be taken due to a lack of evidence that the online posts were linked to Gray. School officials from Jackson County and Jefferson City have no record of being notified of the investigation.
Gray’s mother made a call to Apalachee High School the morning of the shooting to warn school staff of an “extreme emergency” involving her son. School staff were attempting to locate Gray when the shooting began.
Despite these warning signs falling through the cracks, I want you to know that there are a number of policies that this caucus championed that prevented a much greater loss of life last week.
Working alongside Governor Kemp and our colleagues in the Senate over the past few years, we have made school safety funding a priority. Last year, we provided $50,000 in one-time grants to every school for security improvements to their buildings. Barrow County Schools used these funds to purchase their alert system, Centegix, which notified law enforcement of the active shooter situation and locked down the building. And in this year’s budget, we provided over $100 million in additional funding, delivering $45,000 to every K-12 school in the state. Barrow County is using this ongoing funding to maintain and update the emergency alert system.
The officers in the Barrow County Sheriff’s Office are some of the finest in the nation, and the three school resource officers who responded to this emergency acted with incredible bravery. We are proud to have passed legislation supporting these heroes and will continue to champion our first responders and law enforcement officers at every turn.
As we continue to uplift the entire Barrow County community, we recognize that there is still more work to be done. While House Republicans have already made significant investments to strengthen security in our schools, increase access to mental healthcare, and keep our students safe, I am committed to not only continuing this work but pursuing additional policies that help ensure a tragedy like this never happens in our state again.
First, we will consider measures to implement mandatory participation in statewide student mental health and behavior monitoring services that foster inter-agency communication between school systems, behavioral health professionals, and law enforcement. We are aware that a breakdown in communication between school systems and law enforcement officials allowed the shooter’s prior history to slip through the cracks upon his transfer to Apalachee High School. We must ensure our schools have the tools they need to coordinate resources for students who require mental health intervention.
Second, we will take steps to continue expanding access to mental healthcare for every Georgian, particularly our teens and young adults in schools across the state. It is evident that the student who committed this atrocity had long suffered from mental health issues. We owe it to our children to ensure they have every opportunity to receive treatment when needed.
Third, we will evaluate new systems and technologies that may be utilized to detect the presence of firearms before they enter a school building. Investing in infrastructure to continue securing our schools will be integral in preventing future tragedies.
Fourth, we will seek to increase penalties for making terroristic threats in our schools—and make it clear that here in Georgia, threats of violence against our students will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. In the days following the events at Apalachee, numerous “copycat” threats were reported and investigated in school systems throughout Georgia. We cannot allow these irresponsible and unsubstantiated threats to divert valuable time and resources from local law enforcement and school resource officers.
Fifth, we will reintroduce legislation that incentivizes safe storage and encourages law-abiding citizens to properly secure their firearms and obtain gun safety training. Simple measures such as storing guns in lockboxes or equipping firearms with trigger locks has the ability to save lives.
This is far from an exhaustive list. As the 2025 session approaches, we will continue having conversations about implementing common-sense policies that take steps toward securing the safety and well-being of Georgia’s students. As the facts of this tragic incident are further revealed, it will be our priority to ensure we properly examine every reasonable idea and solution to protect and defend the most vulnerable among us—our children—while also protecting the right and privilege of our citizens to protect their families and property.
The letter above was delivered to members of the House Republican Caucus by Speaker Jon Burns on September 12, 2024.
I appreciate your continued prayers and support for the Barrow County community, those involved in bringing justice to the families of the victims, our law enforcement officers and first responders, and our teachers and students across the state.
My best,
Speaker Jon Burns