A person kneels before flowers placed at the entrance of Apalachee High School on Thursday, a day after the mass shooting at the school in Winder, Georgia.

Charlotte Kramon/AP

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Charlotte Kramon/AP

The 14-year-old student accused of killing four people and wounding nine others at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, has been charged with four counts of murder, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said.

In a post on X, the GBI said more charges are expected to be filed against the boy, but NPR is not naming him.

The suspect is currently being held at the Gainesville Regional Youth Detention Center, where his first court appearance is scheduled virtually for 8:30 a.m. Friday. GBI Director Chris Hosey told reporters Wednesday that authorities plan to try the alleged shooter as an adult.

“The investigation into the shooting at Apalachee HS is ongoing,” the GBI said.

Two teachers and two students were killed. The GBI has identified the dead as students Christian Angulo, 14, and Mason Schermerhorn, 14, and teachers Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Christina Irimie, 53.

Autopsies will be performed on the four victims on Thursday, the GBI said.

At least nine other people were injured and taken to various hospitals for treatment. The suspect was arrested at the school.

Investigators described the weapon used in the shooting as an “AR-style platform weapon.”

The GBI said Thursday that the investigation is “still active and ongoing.”

“This is Day 2 of a very complex investigation and the integrity of the case is of the utmost importance,” the agency wrote on X. “We ask for the public’s patience as we work toward a successful prosecution and justice for the victims.”

The FBI had previously investigated the suspected shooter

In a message on XThe FBI said it received “multiple anonymous tips in May 2023 about online threats to commit a school shooting at an unknown location and time,” and that the threats included images of weapons.

According to the FBI, the sheriff’s office in nearby Jackson County has identified “a possible suspect,” a 13-year-old boy, and has questioned him and his father.

“The father stated that he had hunting rifles in his home, but that the suspect did not have unescorted access to them. The suspect denied making the threats online,” the FBI said.

The FBI said local schools were alerted to continue monitoring the subject, but that there were no strong grounds for an arrest or additional law enforcement action. The agency confirmed that the teen was the one taken into custody after Wednesday’s shooting.

The American flag and the Georgia state flag were flying at half-staff on Thursday following a shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia.

Mike Stewart/AP

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A piece of technology helped in the rapid response to the shooting

Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith credited Centegix, an emergency alert technology, with alerting emergency responders to Wednesday’s shooting.

WABE: Metro Atlanta school districts taking precautions after Apalachee High School shooting

The Atlanta company produces a credit card-sized ID that can be worn on a lanyard. The ID has a button that employees can press to immediately alert the school, other employees and law enforcement to health or safety issues that arise on campus, NPR member station WABE reported.

“It alerts us that there is an active situation at a school. That was pressured. We’ve had that for about a week now,” Smith told reporters at a news conference Wednesday night.