3 arrested in alleged Cherokee High School shooting plot

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — Police have arrested three people in connection with an alleged conspiracy to carry out a shooting at Cherokee High School, authorities said.

The investigation began after the FBI flagged threatening social media posts to Cherokee County School District police. On Oct. 19, district police contacted the Canton Police Department, which opened an investigation.

Detectives identified a juvenile Canton resident connected to the threats. The juvenile was arrested Oct. 20 on charges of conspiracy to commit murder and disruption of a public school. Police are not releasing the juvenile’s identity. In a message to families, the district said the juvenile is a former Cherokee High School student.

As the investigation continued, detectives identified two additional suspects. On Oct. 23, police arrested Shane Keith Taylor, 17, and charged him with conspiracy to commit murder, according to police. He was taken to the Cherokee County Adult Detention Center.

Michael Brandon Terry, 21, of Chatsworth, California, was also arrested in California by the FBI and the Los Angeles Police Department. Terry is charged with conspiracy to commit murder and is awaiting transport to Cherokee County, according to police.

“The system worked as designed,” said Andy Green, a Kennesaw State University professor and cybersecurity researcher. “This is an opportunity for law enforcement at all levels to take a bow and say this is how it’s supposed to work.”

Green said the FBI receives about 1.6 million threats a year and must investigate each one for credibility. Threats can come through the FBI tip line, detective work or alerts from social media platforms.

From there, he said, the challenge is identifying the real person behind a social media handle and locating them — a process that often requires subpoenas for logging information unless exigent circumstances exist.

“That is the heavy lifting,” Green said.

In a message to families, the superintendent said safety protocols worked. The district said its schools use locked exterior and interior doors, visitor check-in and crisis alert badges for all employees. Metal detectors are not currently used. School resource officers are assigned to each high school and middle school, with collateral responsibilities at elementary schools.

Authorities said there is no known ongoing threat to Cherokee High School or any other Cherokee County school.

“The safety of our students and school staff is a top priority, and we take every threat seriously,” Canton Police Chief Marty Ferrell said. “I appreciate the quick action of our law enforcement partners and the dedication of our detectives in identifying and arresting the suspects.”

The investigation remains active. Anyone with information is asked to contact Canton police at 770-720-4883 or submit a tip to the FBI at tips.fbi.gov.