Georgia high school shooting plot: Three arrested over alleged Cherokee High School plan

Police in Georgia said three suspects were arrested over an alleged plan to carry out a shooting at Cherokee High School in Canton. Arrest warrants said the group obtained a school floor plan and selected a date early in the next school year. Authorities charged the suspects with conspiracy to commit murder.

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Warrants said Shane Keith Taylor, 17, and Michael Brandon Terry, 21, reached an agreement with an unidentified juvenile. The juvenile suspect was to work with Taylor and Terry on weapons. Investigators said the suspects also discussed outfits and planned purchases, including body armour, video cameras and combat boots.

Cherokee High School shooting plot details

According to the warrants, the suspects picked Aug. 20 for the attack. That date was about two weeks after the first day of school on Aug. 2. Police said the alleged target was Cherokee High School in Canton, about 45 miles (72 kilometres) north of Atlanta.

Police said the FBI spotted threatening posts on social media and alerted school police. School police then contacted the Canton Police Department, according to officials. Investigators said they identified the juvenile living in Canton and linked the suspect to the threats.

Cherokee High School suspects arrested and charged

Police said the juvenile suspect was arrested on Oct. 20. Taylor, who lives in Metter, Georgia, was arrested on Oct. 23. Police said Terry, who lives in Chatsworth, California, was also arrested on Oct. 23.

Police said Taylor and Terry were each charged with conspiracy to commit murder. The juvenile suspect also faced an accusation of disrupting or interfering with the operation of public schools. Police did not release the juvenile’s name or age.

Officials said investigators collected guns, ammunition and electronic devices as evidence. Police said there was no ongoing threat to Cherokee High School. Police also said no threat was found against any other school in the county, while the investigation remained active.

Cherokee High School case status and hearing dates

A lawyer for Taylor, who is considered an adult under Georgia criminal law, said the lawyer had just received the case. The lawyer said there was no comment. Online records showed Taylor was held without bond and had a preliminary hearing set for Nov. 13.

It was not clear if Terry had a lawyer, according to reports. Terry was awaiting transfer from California to Cherokee County. The Associated Press said it could not immediately find contact information for Terry. Authorities did not explain any Georgia connection for Terry.

Police said it was not known how the suspects met, or if Terry had ties to Georgia. Cherokee County School District Superintendent Mary Elizabeth Davis spoke in an online video on Tuesday. "The mere thought of a school threat, let alone hearing of an alleged conspiracy to carry one out, is honestly devastating, and, like you, I have experienced the range of emotions that follow this type of news,\" Davis said.

Davis said agencies working together had stopped the alleged plan. Davis said it was reassuring that safety processes functioned as intended. Police said they continued reviewing evidence gathered during the arrests. Authorities said the investigation stayed active, while schools in the county remained open.

With inputs from PTI