Georgia gun laws explained after school shooting leaves four dead

Apalachee High School in Barrow County, Georgia, is the latest school in the United States to be hit by a mass shooting in the country's epidemic of gun violence. Four people were killed and scores more injured on Wednesday morning.

Colt Gray, a 14-year-old Apalachee student, was named as the suspected shooter; according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, he is still alive and in custody.

The shooting has sparked a review of Georgia's gun laws.

“After decades of inaction, Republicans in Congress must finally say 'enough' and work with Democrats to pass common-sense gun safety legislation,” President Biden said in a statement. “We must once again ban assault rifles and high-capacity magazines, mandate secure storage of firearms, implement universal background checks, and end immunity for gun manufacturers.”

Here's what you need to know.

What type of weapon was used in the Apalachee school shooting?

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said Wednesday that the school shooter used an AR rifle in his murder.

Previously, the FBI revealed The suspect had previously been investigated because he allegedly threatened on the Internet to commit a school shooting.

Gray's father described keeping hunting rifles in the house, but said Gray did not have unsupervised access to them.

What are the gun laws in Georgia?

If the shooter was actually a teenager, he would not be allowed to purchase a pistol, rifle or shotgun under state and federal law.

According to the Giffords Center, individuals must be at least 18 years old to purchase handguns in the state. According to the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, federal law sets the same age limit for the sale of shotguns and rifles.

Meanwhile, Georgia law also prohibits minors from owning handguns.

Overall, Everytown for Gun Safety ranks Georgia 46th out of 50 in terms of the strength of its gun laws, describing the state's policies as “among the weakest” in the country.

According to the National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action, adults in Georgia do not need a permit to purchase rifles, shotguns or handguns, do not have to register their weapons with authorities and do not need a permit to carry rifles and shotguns.

In 2022, Georgia passed a permit-free carry law that repealed provisions that required people to obtain a license and undergo fingerprint and background checks before carrying concealed weapons in public spaces.

How bad is gun violence in Georgia?

Georgia ranks in the top third of the U.S. in terms of gun death rates

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Georgia ranks 15th among counties with 19.7 firearm deaths per 100,000 residents, just outside the category of predominantly conservative Southern states with the most deaths from gun violence.

Have there been any other mass shootings in Georgia recently?

Sadly, today's shooting in Barrow County is not the first time in recent years that a mass shooting has occurred in Georgia.

In 2021, Robert Aaron Long is said to have shot and killed eight people in three massage parlors in the Atlanta area.

Two years later, military veteran Andre Longore killed four people in Hampton, Georgia, before being killed himself during a police manhunt.