Georgia Republicans and Democrats Split Over School Shooting Response

Senior Republican lawmakers in Georgia are calling for student mental health to become a priority following the Apalachee High School shooting that claimed four lives—but their Democrat counterparts say it is not enough.
State House Speaker Jon Burns announced that lawmakers will consider new policies next year that are also aimed at detecting guns and encouraging safe firearm storage.
But the Republican leader stopped short of endorsing more stringent gun control measures championed by Democrats, such as universal background checks and so-called ‘red flag’ laws.
The proposals mark the first official policy response to the Sept. 4 shooting at the high school northeast of Atlanta.
The shooting, carried out by 14-year-old Colt Gray, claimed the lives of two teachers and two students and left nine others injured.
Gray has been charged as an adult with four counts of murder, while his father, Colin Gray, faces charges for second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter, and cruelty to children.
Authorities allege that the elder Gray gave his son access to an AR-15-style rifle despite knowing the teen was a danger to himself and others.
Burns said that while his party has already made significant investments in school security and mental health care, more must be done to prevent future tragedies.
He wrote: “I am committed to not only continuing this work but pursuing additional policies that help ensure a tragedy like this never happens in our state again.”
Burns’ plan calls for improved communication between law enforcement, schools, and mental health workers, citing a failure to act on previous threats made by the shooter in 2023.
He also proposed expanding the state’s Apex program, which provides mental health counseling for students, and exploring new technologies such as AI systems to detect guns in schools.
But Burns’ proposals fall short of the measures advocated by Democrats, who have been calling for universal background checks, mandatory safe storage laws, and the implementation of ‘red flag’ legislation that would allow authorities to temporarily confiscate guns from individuals in crisis.
Democratic Rep. Saira Draper of Atlanta said: “What makes this more devastating than it already is knowing that we had the policy tools to prevent this tragedy from ever happening in the first place. And that we did not use them because my Republican colleagues chose to gamble with our children’s lives rather than face the wrath of the gun lobby.”
Gun policy is likely to play a key role in several competitive districts in northern Atlanta suburbs in November’s elections.
Burns’ proposals come at a time when he is trying to protect his party’s 102-78 majority.
While Republicans such as Burns focus on school safety measures and mental health and Democrats push for comprehensive gun control reform, the stage may be being set for a major policy showdown, even after the elections are over.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press