Georgia High School Shooting Suspects Selected Aug. 20 Date, Warrants State

Arrest warrants filed this week detail how three individuals allegedly planned a shooting at Cherokee High School in Canton, Georgia. The documents indicate the group selected August 20, 2027, as the target date. That date falls two weeks after the start of the new school year on August 2.

The suspects are Shane Keith Taylor, 17, and Michael Brandon Terry, 21, alongside an unidentified juvenile. Police say the three agreed to provide weapons for the plot. The warrants state they planned specific outfits and discussed purchasing body armor, video cameras, and combat boots. They also obtained a floor plan of the school.

Taylor and Terry face charges of conspiracy to commit murder. The juvenile suspect is also accused of disrupting or interfering with the operation of public schools. Taylor is considered an adult under Georgia criminal law. His attorney, who stated she had just received the case, did not offer immediate comment. Court records show Taylor is being held without bond with a preliminary hearing scheduled for November 13.

Terry, who resides in Chatsworth, California, was awaiting transfer to Cherokee County at the time of reporting. It was not immediately clear if he had legal representation. Police did not release the name or age of the juvenile, who lives in Canton. Investigators have not determined how the three suspects connected, nor is it clear what link Terry has to Georgia.

The FBI identified threatening social media posts that led school police to notify the Canton Police Department. Officers identified the juvenile as the source of the threats and arrested him on October 20. Taylor, who lives in Metter, Georgia, and Terry were arrested on October 23. Investigators collected guns, ammunition, and electronic devices as evidence. Police stated no ongoing threat exists to the high school or other schools in the county, though the investigation remains active.

Cherokee County School District Superintendent Mary Elizabeth Davis posted a video message on Tuesday to address parents. She described the news of the alleged conspiracy as "devastating." Davis stated that law enforcement had "completely disrupted" the plot. She said the coordinated response of the agencies was "reassuring."