By Basant El-Faramawy
Three people have been arrested in connection with an alleged plot to carry out a shooting at Cherokee High School in Canton, Georgia, about 45 miles north of Atlanta, according to arrest warrants released by authorities.
Arrests and Charges
Shane Keith Taylor, 17, and Michael Brandon Terry, 21, along with an unidentified juvenile suspect, are charged with conspiracy to commit murder. The juvenile also faces a charge of disrupting or interfering with the operation of public schools. Taylor was arrested on Oct. 23 in Metter, Georgia, while Terry was arrested the same day in Chatsworth, California, and is awaiting transfer to Cherokee County. The juvenile was taken into custody on Oct. 20 in Canton.
Plot Details
Warrants indicate the suspects obtained a floor plan of the school and selected Aug. 20 as the date for the attack, just weeks after the school year begins on Aug. 2. They allegedly agreed to provide weapons, planned outfits, and discussed purchasing body armor, video cameras, and combat boots. Investigators seized guns, ammunition, and electronic devices as evidence.
Investigation and Response
The FBI flagged threatening social media posts and alerted school police, who then contacted the Canton Police Department. Authorities identified the juvenile suspect through the online threats. Cherokee County School District Superintendent Mary Elizabeth Davis said in a video message that law enforcement agencies had “completely disrupted” the alleged plot and that safety protocols worked as intended. Police said no ongoing threat to any school in the county has been identified, and the investigation remains active.
